George Khan

George Khan could be called a forgotten pioneer of the London free music scenes, except that anyone who has heard or seen or met him could surely never forget him. A superb saxophonist and flautist, as well as one of the nicest and most laid-back people - he is capable of outputting an apparently endless stream of what is generally called Fire Music.
Meeting up with Terry Day in the mid-1960s, Khan became a member of the People Band, and since then has mostly combined his musical and theatrical talents in the People Show. On this long overdue first album featuring him playing free improvisation in small groups, he can be heard in four different settings in different London venues at various times in his career:
(1) a duo gig with Terry Day at the LMC around 1980;
(2) a quintet with Albert Kovitz, Peter Lemer, Frank Flowers and Day at an art college sit-in in 1968;
(3) a trio gig with Charlie Hart and Day at the Unity Theatre around 1975; &
(4) two short solos on flute and baritone sax at the Red Rose around 2005.
All previously unissued. 143 minutes.

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"A mysterious collection of free improvisations from the UK scene – all featuring saxophonist George Khan, and all presented here with "circa" or "possibly" next to the dates – which further underscores the obscurity of the recordings! Don't let that lack of detail put you off, though – as the set's very much in the best tradition of the Emanem label – a needed document of overlooked genius on the British avant jazz scene – and to us, the first time we've ever heard Khan's music! Even in some of the earliest recordings here – which go back to the late 60s – Khan's got this way of handling his tenor that rivals some of the most creative talents of the European free jazz scene – working in a variety of different settings with some great British contemporaries." Dustygroove