Tag Archives: improvisation

Keith Rowe: The Room Extended

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Keith Rowe: The Room Extended by Brian Olewnick (powerHouse Books)

The first time that I saw a reference to the British improvising ensemble AMM was probably in Op magazine in the late ’70s or early ’80s. I’m sure that their name popped up again in issues of Option and The Wire, too. But, it really wasn’t until into the 1990s that I was able to access CDs and finally discover their music for myself.

At that time, I had already been involved with creating improvised electroacoustic soundscapes and their sounds appealed to me in much the same way as Cage, Stockhausen or Feldman. It also helped to reinforce my own sonic ideas and provided added inspiration.

In this extremely well researched book, Brian Olewnick traces the path of one of the original members of the group and succeeds in connecting many dots within their historical picture.

After covering Keith Rowe’s earliest years growing up and subsequently becoming a member of Mike Westbrook’s ensemble, the real meat of the story begins to unfold.

Rowe eventually connected with percussionist Eddie Prevost and the ideas for a new form of group improvisation started to develop. Into the picture, Lou Gare (a saxophonist Rowe had worked with in Westbrook’s group) joined the duo. Bassist Lawrence Sheaff was also recruited, as well. And in 1965 a group with no name began to create unique sounds. Around this time, composer and pianist Cornelius Cardew also began to get involved, too.

For Rowe’s part, he envisioned the guitar as a tool with which he could produce raw sound. He was not interested in notes or riffs. He put the guitar on a table and proceeded to shove objects between the strings in an effort to create a new sonic vocabulary for the instrument.

It wasn’t until 1966 that the moniker AMM was stamped upon the ensemble. At this point, the group was invited to make their debut recording for the Elektra record label. Subsequent recordings from the 1960s (like the The Crypt, 1968) would not wind up  seeing release until the end of the 1980s with the formation of the Matchless record label.

While the members of the group continued to work together, some of them got involved with other musical projects including the Scratch Orchestra. Over the years, the lineup of the group was somewhat fluid with Sheaff leaving and others such as Christopher Hobbs joining.
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As time passed, there were many states of flux and upheaval. Rowe and Cardew became well entrenched in their political ventures and friction was caused amongst others. This lead to an eventual split of the group and various iterations of the group starting to appear.

The story of AMM is one that has been going on for over fifty years. In this book, Olewnick manages to search every available dark and dusty corner to present a thorough and cohesive picture of the events which lead to the various stages of that lengthy career.

Of course, Keith Rowe is the main focus of this tome although it could just as easily been labeled as a history of AMM. But, the concentration on Rowe’s later solo and collaborative works does in fact make it more of his story.

In the long run, this is a long and winding tale which involves artistic ideas, disagreements, outright battles and eventual reunions. It is a fascinating story which was long overdue in its telling.

The inclusion of a well-detailed discography at the end of the book is icing on the cake. Collectors of their music (like yours truly) will likely wind up cursing the investment in future purchases as their wallets get progressively lighter. But, it’s the price that one pays to get exposed to such wonderfully creative sounds.

In the meantime, anybody who has an interest in AMM or creative sounds in general would be well advised to read this essential volume.

 

 

Patty Waters – In Concert 2015

improvisation, jazz, music, vocal, , , , , , , , ,

If you read my earlier blog post about Patty Waters (or know me in real life), you’ll be aware of my affection for her ESP label debut LP. Well, this month marks the 50th anniversary of the recording of that album (December 19, 1965). So, it seems fitting to make another post about Patty at this time.

Last month, Patty gave a rare concert appearance at the Jazzhouse in Copenhagen, Denmark. Luckily, quite a bit of the performance was captured on video on that night of November 8th.

Here are clips from that show featuring Burton Greene (piano), Barry Altshul (drums) and Tjitze Vogel (bass). Enjoy!


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Recent Arrivals – Leo Records

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Pianist Uwe Oberg’s latest release – Twice, At Least – is a solo outing recorded at concerts in Germany in 2012 and 2015. In addition to the self-penned compositions, he also plays works from Annette Peacock, Steve Lacy, Carla Bley and Thelonious Monk.

Throughout the performances, Oberg expands the sound of the piano by often simultaneously playing the keyboard while also reaching inside to pluck the strings. This practice adds an extra layer of detail and expressiveness to the works which are already detailed and dynamic.

Hearing these live recordings makes the listener wish that there they were in the audience to see the performance first-hand. An excellent collection of works which excite the ears with their dynamic variations.

VocColours is a quartet of poetic vocalizers who have teamed up with musician Eberhard Kranemann to produce a unique blend of voices along with double bass and electronics. Throughout their CD entitled Luxatio, the ensemble bobs and weaves through a tapestry of vocalizations with sympathetic sonic accompaniment by Kranemann.

The result is a quilt of sound full of abstract sonic imagery and highly interesting blending dynamics.

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The other two most recent releases in this latest batch from Leo Records share many similar sonic traits.

14 rue Paul Fort, Paris features the trio of Joelle Leandre (bass), Benoit Delbecq (piano) and Francois Houle (clarinets). Ramble is by the quintet known as SWQ and features Sandra Weiss (sax, bassoon), Jonathan Moritz (sax), Kenny Warren (trumpet), Sean Ali (double bass) and Carlo Costa (drums).

On both recordings, the ensemble players are seeking to create a flowing and abstract sound picture. The musicians listen to the sounds emanating from around them and spontaneously react to the situation at hand. It feels more like an improvisation of sound clouds than a a musical progression.

These clouds bend and blend to create a wonderful distortion of musical reality. Two sonic excursions which provide an aural palette of curious abstract imagery.

Leo Records website 

 

Recent Arrivals – Leo Records

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The latest quartet of releases from Leo Records contains work from two saxophonists whose work has been very well documented by the label over the years – Ivo Perelman and Carlos Actis Dato.

Three of the four new discs feature Perelman in both duo and trio settings. Tenorhood with drummer Whit Dickey, Callas with pianist Matthew Shipp and Counterpoint with violinist Matt Maneri and guitarist Joe Morris.

All three recordings show Perelman in his element. In Tenorhood, he locks in with Dickey as they bob and weave to produce a tapestry of propulsive, percussive works.

With Matthew Shipp (on Callas), he produces a series of pieces (over two CDs) which have been inspired by the late, great opera singer Maria Callas. Each of the improvised works were subsequently named after one of the famous parts which Callas played (Aida, Norma etc…). While not specifically designed to mimic the music of any of these works, the inspiration of the serves to unify the theme in the minds of the players.
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On Counterpoint, the trio which includes Morris and Maneri pull out all the proverbial stops to create an air of sonic surprises. The proceedings twist, turn and melt together to produce a cohesive picture of expansive proportions.

The Actis Dato Quartet include second sax player Beppe Di Filippo, bassist Matteo Ravizza and drummer Daniele Bertone. The context on the CD Earth is the Place focuses on compositions as opposed to improvisation. The works are up-beat and joyous in their presentation. It’s an uplifting atmosphere of a quartet locked in the moment and enjoying themselves as much as the listener.

Photos: Ivo Perelman (top), Carlo Actis Dato (bottom)

Leo Records website. 

Recent Arrivals – Discus

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DiscusCDs-Tippetts&Archeretc...-flat

One of the best things about doing a radio programme featuring non-mainstream music for many years was receiving music from like-minded folks from around the globe. Such was the case back in the ’90s when I received a package of CDs from Martin Archer on his Discus label.

Martin continued to send me music and I continued to feature it on the airwaves. We also corresponded quite frequently and a musical relationship built up. In the ensuing years, we have played together live many times on my visits to the UK and we’ve also contributed to each other’s recordings.

When I visited Martin in Sheffield last June, he was in the midst of about a dozen different recording and performance ventures. At that time, he played me a number of recordings that he was working on. Many of these are now available on this latest trio of double-CD releases.

Vestigium is the latest collaboration between Martin and vocalist Julie Tippetts. Every release in their series of works seems to magically rise above the previous  set. This is no mean feat as each of their projects are quite wonderful affairs.

This latest set is no exception as the individual works often vary drastically in their sound but manage to create a bigger picture which holds all of them together. Sonic backdrops can be minimal and shimmering with the vocal lines drifting through the landscape. Other times, a steady bassline and percussion beat bring the funk to the fore.

Listening to these works, it seems like both Martin and Julie were destined to lock their creative energies together. Julie’s dexterous vocalizations meld perfectly with the music. Martin’s ear for detail and the ability to create subtle layers for the vocals makes for a tapestry of aural delights. The final work in the set – Stalking the Vision – is a fine example of this sonic synergy in action.

Some men experience the condition for a few days, with no awkward levitra for sale online conversations at all. They are just not satisfied with the type of educational content material that is needed, you might discover this capsule as a harmless http://appalachianmagazine.com/2018/1/page/2/ viagra generika drug. The essential fatty acids also aid in the absorbency of necessary vitamins buy sildenafil online like Vitamin A, D, E, and K. 9. Heart failure is even known as congestive heart on sale here levitra 10 mg failure. Bad Tidings from Slackwater Drag is by Martin’s ten-piece big band called Engine Room Favourites. From the introductory tune – Song for Alice Coltrane – you know that you are in for a good ride. Tracks range from dense and frenetic to minimal improvised structures.

At times, I was put in the mind of Soft Machine and also was reminded of Julius Hemphill’s Big Band. The latter thought was confirmed as the concluding number of the set is a cover version of Hemphill’s classic track The Hard Blues. And ERF do a most admirable job in their performance.

Inclusion Principle’s Third Opening shows even more diversity for Martin and his cohorts. This is a trio which also includes Herve Perez and Peter Fairclough.

On this set, the sounds range from environmental field recordings, computer-generated sounds, saxophones, piano and percussion. From minimal soundscapes to wild hyper-rhythms, the pieces blend and weave their way through two CDs of diverse sonic contexts.

Definitely three more highlights for the ever-expanding Discus catalogue.

Discus Music website

 

 

Bernard Stollman (1929 – 2015)

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ESP-Disk'

Bernard Stollman passed away on April 20 at the age of 85. He was the founder of one of the most eclectic record labels that ever existed – ESP-disk.

The roster of artists who recorded for ESP in the 1960s reads like an encyclopedia of the avant-garde musical world. Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, Patty Waters, Paul Bley, Burton Greene, Alan Silva, Don Cherry, The Fugs, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders… The list seems endless.

For me personally, if they had only released the Patty Waters album, I would have been more than happy. But, they released so many more interesting and influential records over the course of the years.
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Here is a link to Bernard Stollman’s obituary in the New York Times.

ESP-disk website