The Rent is Scott Thomson trombone, Kyle Brenders soprano sax, Wes Neal bass, Susanna Hood voice, and Brandon Valdivia drums.

Lacy compositions are moody songs — art songs that successfully blend music and sung poetry and are made to initiate improvisation.

Like in "The Rent" — the namesake of this group — the part cha-cha and blues composition was suddenly blown wide open by vocalist Susannah Hood's eruptive dance, a surprising sequence of freezes and a swift jacknifing body.

While Lacy 's compositions are throroughly modern, angular, and Thelonious Monk-like, they also contain the collateral sound (s) and influences of French cabaret, theatre, words, performance art, visual art, and dance. Like in "Utah", where Hood's jabber-wocky vocal rippled against a slow rising trombone/soprano anthem, the music's both playful and serious nature evolved right in front of us.

But the special poise in Lacy's music — always hip, and progressive, and historical! — was aimiably transmitted by the relaxed approach of these five Toronto-based free players.

They ended smartly, and humanly, I felt, with "Somebody Special", words by Brion Gysin, music by Steve Lacy.

"Somebody special to live with/Somebody special to look after me" said the trombone, soprano, and voice, speaking out of the silence.

The Rent plays each Sunday in September and October, at 6 pm in the Somewhere There performance space located at 340 Dufferin Street (enter from Melbourne Ave.) The Cover Charge is $6.00. www.somewherethere.org