Trevor Watts’ Original Drum Orchestra

Trevor Watts has been at the forefront of the Jazz and Free Improvisation scene since the 1960s and is highly respected by his peers and quite rightly so. Much of the UK listening audience though, seem to be unaware of the amazing breadth of Trevor’s works on a global scale. With that in mind, Jazz in Britain have decided to try and address this issue with this release.

In 2022 we issued The Art Is In The Rhythm which featured an improvised performance of Trevor in partnership with drummer, Liam Genockey. Following on from the success of that release, Volume 2 features the same duo, this time augmented by Peter Knight on violin, Ernest Mothle, bass and the Ghanaian pairing of Nana Tsiboe and Kofi Adu on a wide variety of African percussion.

This set was recorded during a 1989 tour and features almost an entire performance at the Four Bars Inn, Cardiff as well as two pieces from a gig in Southampton. The music draws influences from not only the performers’ native lands of England, Ireland, Ghana and South Africa, but from a far wider range of musics. African poly-rhythms, musics from the near and far east, traditional folk tunes from around the world and even the odd sea shanty thrown in.

The Art Is In The Rhythm Volume 2 presents over 2½ hours of freely improvised, mesmerising creativity and the CD includes a 20 page booklet with an essay by Julian Cowley as well as photographs by Jak Kilby and from Trevor’s own collection.