Almost exactly 15 years ago on May 5, 1996, the great Australian jazz supergroup, Clarion Fracture Zone, played in Winnipeg at the West End Cultural Centre as part of small North American tour which I had the pleasure of helping to set up.  I had met some of the band before when they were here as part of The catholics, but I had not met pianist Alister Spence nor Tony Gorman, the reed-playing husband of Sandy Evans.  Tony and I hit it off and had a lot of fun through that couple of days.  We all looked forward to hooking up again, and through some subsequent tours I actually have with all members of Clarion but Tony.  And that unfortunately was due to Tony's diagnosis in 1997 of MS.  I was shocked to here that news as were many others.   The disease has curtailed a lot of  his activities, particularly travel, but he's still playing, writing and producing wonderful music and projects.   He and Sandy have had to live with MS as have many other families around the world.  And he's doing really well too.  There's an interview here .

I'm very pleased, excited and honoured to present in today's show, the North American premiere of Sandy's newly composed and recorded suite, When The Sky Cries Rainbows -- her response to Tony and her living with MS. Thanks to Malcolm Stanley and James Kennedy at ABC Radio/Jazz in Sydney Australia for making this possible and of course to my good friend Sandy Evans.  The new music of When the Sky Cries Rainbows is more proof of her brilliant talent.  And to Tony:  keep on keepin' on, brother T.

• Steven Lugerner Septet  *  Narratives - ind. *  Here: Now There
• Andrew Robson Trio * Radiola - Lamplight *  Mata Hari
• Michael Blake *  Drift - Intuition *  Toque
• Libre(s) Ensemble *  Libre(s) Ensemble - Instant Musics *  La Foley
• Kris Davis  *  Rye Eclipse - Fresh Sound New Talent *  Black Tunnel
• Owen Howard *  Drum Lore - BJU *  Bulgaria
• Jerry Granelli *  Another Place - Intuition *  Hills
• Sandy Evans *  ABC Jazztrack session introduction-
• Sandy Evans *   talking about When The Sky Cries Rainbows
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Spectre
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Chromatic Dispersion
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Heedrum-Hodrum Headbanging
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Violet
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Alexander’s Dark Band
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Spectre of the Broken
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Indra Slays The Demon Serpent
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Broken
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Indigo Hues
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  40 Degrees
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  Hand In Hand
• Sandy Evans *  When The Sky Cries Rainbows - ABC Jazztrack *  With The Sun Behind Me
• Sandy Evans *  outro - ABC Jazztrack
• Libre(s) Ensemble *  Libre(s) Ensemble - Instant Musics *  Free KC to Gawa
• Avi Granite: 6 *  Red Tree - Pet Mantis *  Life Fragments
• Knut Haugsoen *  Shakti - Vikrama *  Since You’ve Gone
• Led Bib *  Bring Your Own - Cuneiform *  Shapes & Sizes