★Emanem
Fast Talk
The London improvising scene duo of vocalist Kay Grant, a former Downtown NY arists, and clarinetist Alex Ward, have been playing together for decades, here recorded in four live performances and a studio session."Singer Kay Grant left the Downtown New York scene some twenty years ago and crossed the Atlantic. Around the same time, schoolboy clarinettist Alex Ward donned long trousers and played in public with Derek Bailey. Since then, they have both been vital members of the London improvising …
Goldsmiths
A previously unissued 1972 concert by the original version of Iskra 1903 - Paul Rutherford (trombone), Derek Bailey (guitar) and Barry Guy (double bass) - extraordinary performances, plus 2 short extracts from another concert. "Iskra 1903 was one of my favourite groups. I cannot remember hearing a performance that I did not enjoy, although inevitably some were better than others. The previously unissued concert on this CD was arguably one of their best.I first heard this recording about ten year…
5 More Dialogues
Here are two men whose musical natures are obviously rich and their backgrounds complex - back to Stinky Winkles in the pianist's case, back to Amalgam and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble in the saxophonist's - but who reduce, in the critic/analyst's shorthand, to tiling or fabric. Tessellations. Moiré. Does that convey all you need to know about Veryan Weston and Trevor Watts, secure in the understanding that these are self-chosen metaphors, not imposed from outside? Needless to say, no, …
Translations
The dialog of two improvising guitarists who, since 2004, have explored "timbres, interspersed with fragments of chords, rhythms and melodies, parallel plays in imitation or opposition". All the pieces that make up this CD are presented here in their entirety. They reflect our mutual explorations discussed in confidence, freedom and exigency since 2005. Dialogues of timbres, interspersed with fragments of chords, rhythms and melodies, parallel plays in imitation or opposition... Conversation…
Slipway to Galaxies (Solo Viola & Voice)
An intensely personal journey, Charlotte Hug uses extended vocal techniques and an unusual language on the viola, creating an exceptional and unique improvisatory sound world. Charlotte Hug's third solo (unaccompanied) CD is the first to feature her voice as well as her viola. The two are used together to create an even more complex instrument than before sometimes sounding like a duo performance. Recorded in her home town of Zürich after several visits to Cork in Ireland, she has subtly absorb…
Different Tessellations
Two very different versions of Weston's compositional framework based on a cycle of pentatonic scales. Tessellations I explores the possibilities of improvising with a pre-established form as a soloist and was conceived for acoustic piano. (The composer recorded a version in 2003 on a Luthéal piano in Brussels released as Emanem 4095). Only the first half of the 2010 version by the young concert and improvising pianist LEO SVIRSKY is included here because of CD durational limitations. His interp…
Life Amid The Artefacts
Two releases in one, Otherways was a 2nd generation free improvising group from London performing in '73; and Free Space was a group assembled in '73 by John Stevens with Trevor Watts, John Russell, &c. The bulk of this CD features Otherways, a 'second generation' London group that has not appeared on record before. This delayed publication, combined with the general lack of recognition of the musicians involved, does not prepare one for the excellent music they made together, distinctly differ…
Teatime (1973-5)
Awesome analog recordings from this quintet of European Free Improvisers taken from their 1975 Incus LP, and a previously unissued recording live at London's Little Theatre Club, 1973. 'The 1975 release of the Teatime LP introduced the outside world to five of the 'second generation' London-based improvisers: Steve Beresford (piano & toys), Nigel Coombes (violin & low grade electronics), John Russell (electric guitar), Dave Solomon (percussion) & Garry Todd (tenor saxophone). The main contents a…
![Summer Works 2009 [3 CDs]](https://cdn.soundohm.com/data/products/015/riviere-composers-pool-summer-works-2009-3-cds.jpg.500.jpg)
Summer Works 2009 [3 CDs]
Bassist Kent Carter chose the ensemble of two string and two wind players from amongst the most experienced musicians in Europe to record the studio and live compositions in this exceptional 3 CD set. "The meeting of four of the most experienced musicians in Europe, all of whom have worked with each other in various groups, except that this was the first time that Jorgensmann and Rolin had met. The totally improvised music shows their individual strengths as well as their ability to work …
Tetralogy (1978-1982)
'A 2-CD set containing four very different settings all featuring Paul Rutherford (trombone & euphonium): two festival solos - one with electronics and the other without; a festival brass quartet with George Lewis (trombone), Martin Mayes (french horn) & Melvyn Poore (tuba); and a studio trio with Paul Rogers (double bass) & Nigel Morris (drum set). The electronically enhanced solo and the brass quartet are unlike anything else in Rutherford's discography. All previously unissued.'
Pi:k
'Two musicians from very different backgrounds finding common ground. The first half consists of studio duets on guitar and viola recorded in New York City without any electronics, but they are not what one would expect from these two instruments. The second half is very different - recorded in concert in Geneva with a liberal amount of electronics.'
69/70
Following on from their only prior published recording ('1968' reissued on Emanem 4102), here are over two hours of previously unissued recordings from 1969 and 1970, featuring: Mel Davis, Terry Day, Lynn Dobson, Eddie Edem, Tony Edwards, Mike Figgis, Russell Hardy, Adam Hart, Charlie Hart, Terry Holman, Iain Jacobs, Paul Jolly, George Khan, Albert Kovitz, Michael O'Dwyer (Spoon), Davey Payne, Butch Potter, Geoffrey Prowse & Rose Widdison. Very different musics recorded in four very different lo…
Capsizing moments
A veritable tour de force of 'inside' prepared piano playing - preppiano extensif. The whole of a solo set performed at Les Instants Chavirés near Paris. Sophie Agnel's preparations, neither static nor fixed, evolve during the course of her playing as she adds, moves or removes an object, or replaces one artefact with another. These preparations include disposable water cups, nylon fishing-line, bouncing balls, aluminium ashtrays, aluminium foil, industrial nylon, inner-tube rubber and polished …
The pursuit of happiness
Sylvia Hallett (violin & electronics, voice), Danny Kingshill (cello, voice), Gus Garside (double bass & electronics). First formed in 1988, arc have developed, through improvisation, a collective language that draws on the European textures of the violin family (with a little bit of voice added). This is their first album to use live electronics, at times effectively increasing the group to a quintet. They previously released two albums of acoustic improvisations in 1992-3 on Uneasy Listening a…
Ananke
Never mind the piano, the pianist is Fine! Milo Fine describes the particular piano as 'more remains than intact', yet he still manages to get the right music out of 'that wonderful beast'. The earlier date is unaccompanied piano improvised mainly at the keyboard. On the other longer concert, recorded towards the likely demise of the 'beast', Fine spends most of his time working on the innards resulting in a very wide range of sound. He also uses some electronics, and is joined by alto saxophoni…
s/t
Yedo Gibson (tenor saxophone & Eb clarinet), Veryan Weston (piano), Marcio Mattos (double bass & electronics), Martin Blume (percussion). This quartet, named after a Brazilian animal, contains two musicians who grew up in Brazil over 30 years apart, and one each from Britain and Germany. However, improvised music is an international language in which they are all fluent. The three seasoned improvisers are joined by a newcomer who does not sound at all like a novice. Their improvisations range fr…
No Doughnuts in Hand
The third of Minton's doughnut reduction series features 37 solo vocal improvisations. This showcase for his remarkable vocal talents follows on from A Doughnut In Both Hands (Emanem 4025) and A Doughnut In One Hand (FMP 91), his previous solo outings. 52 minutes.
Barkingside
Alex Ward (clarinet), Alexander Hawkins (piano), Dominic Lash (double bass), Paul May (percussion). An improvising quartet comprising four excellent young improvising musicians based in London and Oxford, none of whom have ever been to the outer London suburb of Barkingside. Two complete performances from concerts at Cambridge University and the 2007 Freedom Of The City festival in London.
Everything That Disappears
Tom Djll (trumpet, pocket cornet & preparations), Matt Ingalls (Bb clarinet, bass clarinet), Frédèric Blondy (piano), John Shiurba (electric guitar), George Cremaschi (double bass & electronics), Lê Quan Ninh (surrounded bass drum), John Bischoff (electronics), Tim Perkis (electronics), Gino Robair (energized surfaces & voltage made audible). Tom Djll put this electro-acoustic improvising nonet together when Frédèric Blondy and Lê Quan Ninh were visiting the San Francisco area, resulting in some…
Domino Concept For Orchestra
Eichenberger directs the musicians to change what they are doing, but not what to. The result is an hour-long performance with many changes, and surprises. Marianne Schuppe & Dorothea Schürch (voices), Carlos Baumann (trumpet), Paul Hubweber (trombone), Carl Ludwig Hübsch (tuba), Markus Eichenberger (clarinets), Dirk Marwedel (extended saxophones), Helmut Bieler-Wendt (violin), Charlotte Hug (viola), Peter K Frey & Daniel Studer (double basses), Frank Rühl (electric guitar) & Ivano Torre (percus…