Almost there... Don Partridge and Company will be published in September...

Edging towards the end now - Don Partridge and Company by Don Partridge, Pat Keene and Rod Warner will be published in the first week of September, if all goes well.  I've launched a blog to act as a trailer for the book and that will have publishing details etc when the time comes - here...
The interlocking stories of three young street musicians, ranging from Bohemian Paris in the early 1960's to London - and beyond.  One of them became famous...

Review: Charles Gayle/Bobby Few Quartet at the Cafe Oto, London, Wednesday, June 1st, 2011...

A rum night... I got to the Cafe Oto and found a really good seat, couple of rows back from the stage, fairly central and sat in pleasant anticipation with a pint of the Oto's worthy but foul lager in front of me and somewhere to put it, for a change – the house was busy but did not get as full as it was the last time Gayle was here in January. I had wondered about the line-up: Bobby Few, legendary piano player, cohort of Albert Ayler, Steve Lacy, among others, expatriate musician in Europe for many years, coupled to the king of fire-jazz, the mighty Charles Gayle, my favourite musician of the last couple of years – who does not usually work with a pianist, as far as I know. The bass and drummer, in fact, are members of Bobby Few's current quintet lineup, so Gayle would be the odd man out. Scene set for some interesting accommodations...

First set: some high register trinkle tinkle from Few, then they hit the most conventional jazz groove I have heard for a while, drummer Ichiro Onoe keeping it steady, as Gayle pitched into an abrupt, blocky melody. Few's piano started to rise up, a water image appropriate as burly cycling ripples ebbed and flowed, broken by the occasional smashing chord – which seemed to nark Gayle, who visibly winced a couple of times. In fact, the first set was almost a Bobby Few extravaganza – as Gayle seemed to give up trying to find a way in after a while and left the stage area. Bassist Harry Swift, positioned next to Few, followed him gamely and they fell into freer rhythms when Gayle returned – briefly, as he still seemed unhappy and after a smashing, rattling drum solo from Onoe who was as adept at slipping into freer time as he was in more conventional four four, left again, this time not to return as they took it out as a trio. Maybe some of this had been preplanned to give the headliners adequate exposure? Who knows... Few is obviously a major pianist – yet I didn't quite engage with him on the night. Perhaps I am too much of a Gayle partisan and was influenced by what appeared to be his discomfort...

Second set: If they had started off originally back in the tradition, here, they were firmly on contemporary ground. More abstract sonically, Gayle using his breath to lightly brush at the back of the notes, foregrounding their production, as Few used the inside of his piano to good effect, laying some keyboard sonorities to match Gayle's excursions. Bass and drums equally at home in this world of sound texture – but I haven't seen Gayle go so far in this mode before, which was fascinating. They were playing as a band now, it seemed, the sax coming onto the notes more, abrupt phrases being stretched and toyed with as he started to take it onwards in some delirious flows of notes that went from high register – where he has immaculate control – to deep, dark burrowings – again slightly unusual for a man who often plays in the middle and higher registers and frequently doubles on alto. Tonight was all tenor – and a powerful statement, at that. Some of the passages here were amongst the best I have heard him play, heart-wrenching vocalised streams that went way beyond the conception of mere 'notes.' As the set progressed he crouched over his instrument, turning his back to the piano and bass, playing straight at the drummer who held his line smartly. Whether this was to block Few out of his ears – who knows? He left the stage again for the trio to take over, much of it piano backed by bass – Harry Swift, eyes closed with concentration a couple of times as he reached for the notes to support Few. The pianist has expressed his knowledge and love of classical music and his florid rolling rhapsodising displays this, disrupted by suddenly, abruptly lashing a crunching chord/cluster across the flow, like a boulder tossed into a stream. Few used hand signals to bring in the other two in accurate unison for these accents and I enjoyed this trio section more than in the previous set, the music seemed more focused. Gayle returned and they went out on a rocking blues, somewhat surprisingly, although it was fascinating to hear his take on a conventional form, oblique runs that stretched and tugged at the twelve bar structure. But the blues (and spirituals – secular balanced with sacred) are never far from the 'feeling' of his music.

I thought the gig was over so hurried off for a piss before I went in search of the 38 bus back to Travelodgeville and returned to discover Gayle at the piano, doing a solo encore – brilliantly. Fragments of stride piano came through here and there, cross-cut to long rolling runs that almost evoked Art Tatum. Some don't rate him as a pianist – but I like his style and find that I follow his logic well enough – tonight, it was as if something had to be proved. I don't know if there really was needle between the two headliners, but maybe this was some kind of a statement. Another criticism of his keyboard playing is that he doesn't leave a lot of space, which is unfair – you could say the same about Tatum, for example - but I have heard him play very simply and delicately when the material dictated, spirituals and folk material, for example. Tonight it was two-fisted take-no-prisoners time – a tour de force, pretty much, knocking on the door of a couple of standards in passing – 'Willow weep for me' and 'Body and Soul' I caught – which he referred to melodically but freely, not binding himself to the overall chordal structures. Free jazz, I guess they call it, of which there is currently no finer practitioner in my opinion. He was superb...

An odd gig, then – it would have been very interesting if they were booked on for another night, to see how these different approaches played out over another couple of sets. Maybe...


Here's a vid of the Bobby Few Trio from last year...

 And one of Charles Gayle, taken at his last Cafe Oto gig in January...

Charles Gayle/Bobby Few...

Back from London yesterday and exhausted - but review of Charles Gayle/Bobby Few gig at the Cafe Oto almost written - for a change! An extraordinary night in many ways... I'm off out with the family today to explore the wonderful sunshine etc - but should get it up by tomorrow...

Charles Gayle...

After the excuses of the last post - onwards! Off to town tomorrow to see Charles Gayle, probably my favourite musician of the moment - at the Cafe Oto, of course. The band, with Bobby Few et al, looks fascinating and I'm really looking forward to seeing how he plays with a piano in the lineup

Onwards...

I didn't put up the rest of my review from the Freedom of the City fest... usually I would have attended for a couple of days or more solid - this year just a scattering, due to other commitments. When I read back what I originally intended to post about the 'Feral Choir,' I thought: well, these I do not dig, to the point that I find them hilarious and for all the wrong reasons (maybe...). Some of the other stuff I caught was... o.k. - but I was tired when I got there that last night and left before the end. Exhaustion is not the best state to be in when listening to music, of whatever genre. Reviewing afterwards - well, it would have come out as very negative, when that would not have been my intention. I vigorously support the endeavours of all who are committed to the experimental musics I love, know what a battle it is to get finance and resources only too well - so I figured on this occasion, my critical faculties might not have been too finely tuned. I still find the concept of the 'Feral Choir' (whooo - we're scary) hilarious, and will mention the fact - but I don't want to take the piss in an unbalanced way that would reflect on the work of too many people I respect. Not that anyone or any organisation is above criticism - far from it, many dangers in living in a bubble - but the pluses of this year - new venue which may well turn out to be a good move for the future, the artists I caught who blew me away - and one who surprised me greatly, causing me to rethink old attitudes - and the plain fact that in hard times we need to pull together, made me think: not this time round. Most of what I got to I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to next year...

Freedom of the City Festival, Cecil Sharp House, London, May 1st, (Day Two), 2011

For several reasons I was unable to get to a large chunk of the Freedom of the City festival this year, so my overall impressions are somewhat fragmentary, maybe even more so because of the delay in posting them. But I caught some fascinating music, as ever, thought the new venue, the improbable Cecil Sharp House, worked very well, and was pissed off that I missed a couple of acts through arriving late on Sunday. Usually I immerse myself for at least two days, trying to catch as much as I can until exhaustion takes over – but this time round it was more a couple of hits, one quicker than the other.

Finally arriving at CSH – having gone the wrong way off Delancey Street, for some cognitive dissonant reason – got my tickets, realised I had just missed Agusto Fernandez, annoyingly, so went into the bowels of the joint to get a drink at the Cafe Oto-run bar. CSH at first sight has the look of a decaying Edwardian girls school but when I finally surfaced to go into the main venue room it was light and airy, (albeit with a very springy floor - as a dancing aid, apparently, but prone to mucho creaking for the unwary!) the acoustics proved to be good and there was a fair crowd ready to go with Toma Gouband. If you said to someone outside these musics that you had arrived, sat down ready to roll and a guy placed himself in front of an upturned bass drum plus a couple of cymbals/hi hats, and started his performance by breaking a load of rubble onto the drum – well, answers on the back of a beer mat to the Eagles Nest, God's Little Acre. But: this was, for me, the highlight of the sets I managed to catch. Gouband proceeded to use small broken stones to set up dry, clicking rhythms that seemed to move in some kind of ritualistic cycle, bringing them together, using them separately on his drum/cymbal surfaces, his feet playing pedals, one linked to a log/pipe? of some description to produce an insistent ticking. In his own words:

     "In solo I use stones collected here and there and I try to play with multispeed, independent voices, numbers and their links arranged circularly. The circle is multi-directional [multisens in the original French - my approximate translation] and, depending on perspective and attractions from inside and outside, becomes line, triangle, square, star, face. Numbers, as symbols of quantities and proportions created by the different speed, are a strong inspiration to play, to find the energy sub-rising, the continuity, the trance. "

He slowly built up a unique sonic area for the duration of his performance, one that made natural sounds seem exotic, minimal in his use of materials/instruments, yet creating much complexity. An interrogation of the acoustic properties of natural elements – stones – that was also a celebration. If you wanted to get really cute, you could surmise that he was channelling older energies, rituals, sacred geometries even, given his remarks above. The next section involved mucho frottaging of stone slabs – on each other, on cymbal and drum head. A fleeting image of corn being ground? The fanciful thoughts abounded – yet this was truly a magical performance, taking the audience to a very unusual and unique space. Back to the two stones for another section and finishing by producing a bundle of tree branches with which he proceeded to whip and brush his kit. I kid you not... But brilliant, the rustling, whispering sonorities conjuring up everything from wind in the trees to jazz brushes on drums.  A remarkable bridge built between something very primal and the sophisticated framing of experimental festival space, musics and cultural assumptions situated at this home of UK folk musics and dance.  Cecil Sharp House aligned to May Day and free improvisation – if he had suddenly brought out a maypole I would not have been surprised... Something going on here... 


Evan Parker/Matt Wright/Heledd Francis/Agusto Fernandez/Tomo Gouband/John Russell/Lawrence Casserley/Adam Linson:

Starting quiet, hesitantly almost – Evan P had invited the guests of the afternoon to join his advertised trio (Wright and Francis added to himself) in an impromptu gesture, so, suddenly, an expanded line-up. Two Apple Macs – not sure that another one made much difference. Laptop electronics at these gigs seem, well, restrained, never really partaking of the thrust of performance, more added colorations round the edges. Heledd Francis's bass flute was minimal but blended beautifully with Evan's soprano, the man himself in restrained mood. To unleash the long rolling flights of circular breathed lines in the wrong place would be overwhelming, but he always has his mastery under control in group situations. As their set progressed he did move from short figures to that trademark looping linearity which shifted the dynamic of the performance onto a slightly more urgent plane – but gently suggesting rather than bombastically pointing. John Russell had his head bent sharply forward over his guitar in a pose of utmost concentration and he was using a couple of pedals this year, one I assumed was for volume? Didn't seem to make a lot of difference – unfortunately his playing was semi-audible. Disconcerting to see him picking rapidly away with his left hand holding positions way up the neck, a couple of inches from his right hand. The resultant notes would have been very high-pitched and sharp – but you could hardly hear them. 'Not a strum was heard, nor a funeral note...' to misquote Charles Wolfe.  Russell is a true original, someone who took a slightly different course to the once dominant late Derek Bailey – yet every year I go to this festival he is not miked up enough. Maybe his choice? Dunno, but for a me a shame. Again. Apart from my annual quibble - a subtle and intriguing chamber improv performance, very restrained apart from a couple of surges. Such an ensemble like this did well to keep out of each others way while producing dense music, but I think the acoustics would have allowed them more room if they had wanted to rip it up. Rivetting, all the same and much enjoyed.

Grab some Russell solo here to really hear what he is capable off -

More later...

Reviews... Don Partridge book coming soon...

Back from London. A couple of excellent exhibitions and some good music at the Freedom of the City festival, which I only bounced across this year, unfortunately, rather than the usual full immersion. A couple of reviews to follow - then into the last lap with our book: 'Don Partridge and Company...' which Pat and I hope to publish very soon... watch this space etc...

Freedom of the City Festival, Cecil Sharp House, London, 30 April-2 May, 2011...

It's that time of the year again... for the Freedom of the City festival. Only going down for a couple of days though, not the whole shebang. Off tomorrow early... bizarrely, this year the fest is being held at Cecil Sharp House. Hey nonny... Reviews will no doubt follow.

Review: Travis Reuter: 'Rotational Templates'...

Travis Reuter (guitar, electronics)

Jeremy Viner (sax)
Bobby Avey (fender rhodes)
Chris Tordini (bass)
Jason Nazary (drums)

Available from New Focus Recordings.

On his debut album, 'Rotational Templates,' released by New Focus Recordings, guitarist Travis Reuter explicitly sets out to use techniques from modern classical music in his compositions for jazz quintet. The accompanying blurb states that he 'draws heavily on influences from the music of composers Elliott Carter, Brian Ferneyhough, and Jason Eckardt.' So: a brave and hazardous endeavour: this is an approach that has been tried many times, grafting classical to jazz and the history of the music, from Paul Whiteman onwards, contains, perhaps, many more failures than successes. Attempts to utilise formal devices and instrumentations from the straight music world all too often resulted in an uncool stiffness that impeded the rhythmic/melodic flows of the jazz to produce an often bloodless hybrid that was very much less than the sum of its parts. Whisper the name: 'Thirdstream.' So how does Reuter's album fare, against this backdrop?
Very well, actually. There is a skittery, jump-cutting intensity to the music that partakes of contemporary classical but the overall rhythmic field is expansive enough to enfold and make it flow. A small group helps, giving plenty of space and - perhaps younger musicians are not fazed by moving between genres these days? Reuter – classically trained but with an evidently superb jazz guitar technique would seem to prove that point. This is thoughtful, intelligent music, not afraid to foreground its techniques and influences, yet with enough grit and groove to lift it way beyond what could have been a stodgy mess. The distortions of electric guitar and Fender Rhodes give a rocky, funky edge, coupled with a sparing use of added electronics and a mix that moves instruments and sounds around more than would be usually found on a straightahead jazz record. If Thirdstream as was is Scylla, then Charybdis in this context would surely be: fusion/prog rock. Fusion being an attempt to make jazz more rocky and prog – well, trying to make rock more respectable and 'complicated.' That yearning for 'respectability' is what poisoned the musical oceans in times gone by. Much of the success of this album resides in the avoidance of past mistakes - the keyboard/guitar interactions hark back to Miles Davis at his electric best rather than the blandness that followed his pioneering after 'Bitches Brew.'. Reuter and his crew negotiate safe passage through this particular Strait of Messina...

SNAPSHOTS:

First track: 'Vacancy at 29,' bass leading in to be joined by flurries from Jeremy Viner's tenor saxophone and electronic colourations back in the mix. The sax builds as slow processional Fender Rhodes chording (Bobby Avey) combines with noise granularities. Jittery music, held together by the sturdy bass of Chris Tordini as the sax stretches out into more declamatory mode. Guitar takes over to solo in a tumble of notes, building up a head of steam, veering into a distorted rocky sound world as the keyboard chases. Then: a sudden end. And all the tracks finish in the same abrupt way, as if emphasising that there will be be no rambling, that concision is all at this session. The endings, then, emblematic of the whole, where composed material is balanced by improvisation under tight rein.

'Residency at 20 (Part One) starts with slow chording guitar in almost traditional jazz timbre then sax joins to spell out the melody, accents doubled and hammered into place by Jason Nazari's drums – which are slightly back in the mix, perhaps they would have benefited from a more up front posture? But one assumes that the placement is deliberate. Much thought has gone into the production, after all – as witnessed by the next section when the guitar goes into ghostly quasi-dubstep mode drifting out of the immediate sound space into an echoing background before returning up front to spin out some fast lines alternated with crunching chords. Another ensemble passage then more distorted guitar as the drums slowly edge forward. Again, a sudden stop.

'Singular Arrays.' A hint of sprightly Dolphyesque angularity in the melody. Guitar briefly solos before joining the sax for unison statements. Keyboard and bass repeat a phrase as the drums come through. Keyboard solos, coming off a wobbling figure, cranked up distortion, intersected by sax reiterating that phrase again. Keyboard in freer style over sparse bass and fidgeting drums that drive it along briefly. Guitar next up, some longer linear development that really start to go just before the again abrupt end.

One uses comparisons again – 'Flux Derivatives' opens on unison guitar and sax that distantly evokes Pat Metheny and Ornette's collaboration for these ears. Again, an interesting use of space - sax, guitar and spare, clipped drums, the keyboard does not arrive straight away then floats wafty chords, bass coming in last. The next section: warm sax laced with cymbals and various rhythmic shifts, Viner slowly burning to a climax propelled by cutting drums – followed by elegaic Fender Rhodes that suddenly jumps a couple of emotional notches. Guitar bubbles in, whiplash lines balanced by splayed chords. Reuter stepping out here. Viner returns very briefly, riding a note – then – you guessed it, sudden stop.

The last track: 'Residency at 20 (Part Two).' Opened by tenor over another stop/start bass riff, the top line proceeds to flow over busy drums, adding keyboards along the way – then a brief ensemble section as the bass riff continues. Third section: free-floating keyboards and some biting guitar as the drums bustle and push, keyboard taking it up alone. Sax and guitar back in unison, all dropping for the bass to essay a few solo bars then all together in a swirling finale. Then: that sudden stop.


'Jazz' just having gone through the gates of the twenty first century and approaching, perhaps, its centennial has covered so much ground during those preceding years. To riff off the Good Book: there are many mansions in the house, but no overall 'Father' in residence/ownership to guide/dominate in this age of suspicion/hostility towards metanarratives. The dynamic between improvisation and composition provokes many different solutions, as it always has, but the possibilities have multiplied drastically. But some things carry through. The key to all jazz, arguably, is rhythm, primarily the drums and their role in giving shape and space – and improvisational opportunity. (Jimmy Giuffre's early free jazz attempts got round this by dropping the drummer, which proves the point, perhaps). The avant garde evolved in the sixties once drummers worked out various strategies to expand their rhythms, offering more dimensions and expanded pulses that opened new doors. With such a wider field of rhythm available, perhaps it is easier now to produce music such as this, which has intellect and energy in balanced doses. Also: much of contemporary art music is not so far away from areas that have developed in the free improvisational worlds - often in practice their sound worlds mesh. Reuter's stated influences here - Fernyhough and Carter, Erckhardt - have all in their own ways rejected or moved on from the earlier ideology of strict twelve tone serialism which was usually a straitjacket when applied to jazz - and beyond, arguably. Their rhythmic/harmonic complexity is maybe not such a distance to travel now (think Cecil Taylor) - Fernyhough's extensive use of the tuplet would be a bridge maybe to the overlaid rhythms and syncopations that jazz has always bounced off. Well, OK, maybe I am stretching here? But: what is exciting on this album is that those areas of previous contention/misalignment, the formal compositional devices – tone rows, counterpoint, intricately notated shifting rhythms etc – are encompassed by this wider sense of expanded rhythm so that the charts are not stodgy, nor the improvisations impeded – everything sounds right and in place. And sounds fresh. 'Rotational Templates' is that rarity, a novel conception that works. The discipline of five relatively short tracks also gives a feeling that less is more. Nothing meanders, all pulled up suddenly in what seems a trademark ending which seems to say: that's it, enough has been said at this point. Reuter obviously has much confidence in his overall vision and did not feel it necessary to over-egg the pudding on his first outing. The no-doubt hand-picked ensemble helps - the ideas of individuals are there but they are bound into the greater whole of the band. My one beef? I would have liked a little more stretching out, perhaps, but that's a minor quibble. I suspect that live shows would have more room for soloing expansion – and this is a band I would love to see... A very surefooted debut from Reuter then. We await the next chapter...

Travis Reuter is interviewed here at JazzWrap...

More new stuff on The Lows and the Highs...

April brings three new releases on The Lows and the Highs label:

An old session unreleased till now from Plexus(Teledu/Ward/Warner)  and Ollie Betts (of Black Carrot fame): Songs from the old Grammar School

Black Stepdad: Trancers 2

and one from yours truly: 'One for Julie C.'

Follow the links to sample and buy...

Mr Ward also says:

'The Failed NASA Experiment recently participated in 'Six Glass Fingers: Bandscape' which was filmed as part of Chapter's 40th birthday celebrations.

Mars to Stay's track 'Staywell' was recently featured on Adam Walton's radio show.

2 reviews by 'Was Ist Das?'. First for 'kptimchigan / black stepdad' and the second for 'Mars to Stay'.

Upcoming... yajé debut... more from The (plexus) Collective... latest Whitedog... '

Go forth and dig... 

kptmichigan/blackstepdad... are reviewed...

Good review of the kptmichigan/black stepdad split cassette here...
(About time I started getting the owld critical faculties moving again...)

Don Partridge and Company - the book...

The main reason (apart from my natural sloth!) that this blog has gone very quiet the last months has been because much of my time and energy has been involved in writing, editing and putting together the collaboration we are going to call 'Don Partridge and Company...' Patrick and I decided that I would publish it myself, via my internet outlet, if we could not find a publisher before the spring. Many polite refusals, some compliments - but no action, so forwards we will go on our own. The book is almost ready, just needing some fine-tuning and the photographs selected and added - Pat has a large amount of material which we still need to whittle down. But we plan to publish another book later on via the same outlet focusing on his photographs in more glossy form, which would obviously cost more but would allow the material to be displayed in sharper definition.
Watch this space, as they say... we are aiming at early June...

The Lows and the Highs... even more releases...

A positive flurry of activity recently on the label. Here's another release, this time up, Mars To Stay, a cassette single also as ever available in a variety of download formats. Preview on the site: The Lows and the Highs. More to come over the next couple of weeks...

New stuff on The Lows and the Highs...Split release... kptmichigan/Black Stepdad...

Some news on the owld label front - a new release on cassette with fine artwork by Ian Watson - go seek here and here for more info on he - a split between Black Stepdad and kptmichigan, a co-op endeavour between The Lows and the Highs and MirrorWorldMusic. Go to the links for audio samples of the trax. I am about to unleash some new stuff within the next couple of weeks as well... you lucky people, as the late and great Tommy Trinder used to say...

Pete Morton in Loughborough... Friday January 29th...

Just back from a burning Pete Morton gig at the Loughborough Folk Club's new venue - which might just turn out ok for C. Mackie after the recent venue hassles...
more later...

Review: Charles Gayle at the Cafe Oto, Friday January 14th, 2011...

Charles Gayle is one of my favourite sax players so it was a deep pleasure to get back down to the Cafe Oto and see him again, this time with a trio comprising Christopher Dean Sullivan and Michael T.A. Thompson. An expectant buzz as the time progressed towards 9 pm – the Oto by now jammed to the doors. Luckily I had managed to get a seat, front right positioning, so, with a pint of their dubious lager on the table, was ready to go. Charles Gayle joined the others, looking pretty much the same as the last time I saw him a couple of years back, black jacket and black trousers, an intense look on his face as he started playing. Using the tenor saxophone this time round, instead of the plastic alto he was sporting on previous occasions. One thinks of him as a tenor player, because that's what he is known for on his recordings, but Gayle stated in an interview (here...) that when he was busking on the streets of New York for many years, he preferred the lighter horn, using the tenor more for gigs. It seems to reflect in his playing as well – for such a tough and wild player, he has a fairly light tone and his exemplary technique means that even when he goes up into the extreme registers of his instrument, his articulation does not drop. In the first set, he played mainly within the middle to high areas, on average, later in the night going down deeper more frequently. Possibly this is also clever pacing: Gayle, while lean and fit, is not a young man and the tenor is a demanding instrument.

He started with a simple sparse melodic line floated over busy drums – the bass somewhat obscured from where I was sitting, unfortunately. A slightly desultory beginning, as if feeling their collective way. But they locked together eventually and produced free jazz of the highest order. Gayle fired off rapid strings of notes and played with his usual fervour but there is a more melodic edge to his music that has developed over the last few years, in evidence tonight and underscored, perhaps, by the occasional drops into beboppy time, when the drummer would swing in to two and four on the hihat. Interestingly, Thompson played these small segments of more conventional rhythm and then each time disrupted – or rather, expanded them rapidly. As if briefly lifting a veil to reveal the body beneath. Time travel, what? With Gayle's occasional use of plaintive folky melody, the continuations of the tradition were very evident here. Christopher Dean Sullivan had a couple of spots where his bass came to the fore – evidencing a very crisp player, clean articulations and plenty of technique – his first solo culminated on some rising chordal figures. The drums overbalanced the sound slightly, because apart from a small bass amp, they were not using amplification, and occasionally Gayle was struggling to get over the pounding rhythms. Yet this gave it more of a live feel, back to basics almost. And he is obviously the director of the flow – controlling with occasional abrupt barked comments or with a glance, moving from front of stage back to stand next to the drummer sometimes, as if to hear better or to prompt when needed.

Nearer the end of the first set, Gayle switched to piano which gave the bass more of a chance to come through because of its position further away rather than any drop in volume – there were points where he hammered the hell out of the keyboard, in between scampering runs and sudden placed single notes or clusters that hung in the air as he cocked an ear to consider their sonorities. This concern with sound made me think of Thelonious Monk and you could tease out the similarities, also perhaps a glance or two at Cecil Taylor in the ferocity of the powerhouse keyboard rhythmic bangings. Yet Gayle has his own style, when you are familiar with his piano playing, as free as his saxophone playing yet just as rooted in the past. Simple hymn-like tunes offset the denser chromaticism and it all felt just – right.

The second set began with busier tenor lines and the trio proceeded to grip the night in the assured hold of their collective skills and experience. Let us say: they rocked the place, whether by tenderness, occasional sly wit or the complex dazzle as lines were interrogated and dissected at the speed of fleet, fiery imagination and bravado, one section hauling back to folk-like melody and broader vibrato to evoke the ghost of Albert Ayler and bring a lot of smiles of delight and recognition up and down the rows near me that I could see. Maybe he was playing an actual Ayler tune? My knowledge of them blurs somewhat these days apart from the more famous – note to self: time to get the Revenant set out again perhaps and return to one of the great sources. He disappeared for a while to let bass and drums take over then returned to the piano sporting a rather dashing hat which gave a nod to Monk, perhaps, doubled with what sounded at one point like 'Epistrophy.' Again a display of density and light, hard hitting, percussive and also graceful – literally perhaps when he took it out on a beautiful, slow lilt shot through with gospel. Speaking finally to the audience, the poker face and thousand-yard stare disappeared as he introduced the bassist and drummer in humorous fashion, displaying a self-deprecating wit. The first time I saw him a couple of years back I noticed this change between off-stage and on, the severe concentration when playing offset by a smiling demeanour when the music stopped.
The encore signalled this again – saying that he had no idea what they would do, he returned to the piano and at one point waved his hands theatrically above the keys, gave them a quizzical wide-eyed look and shouted something about not knowing what he was playing. Ha ha – the essence of free jazz... and perhaps something of the joker coming out. (Remember 'Streets' the clown? Check his comments about this persona in the interview linked above).

In a very crowded room what was noticeable was that there was no chatter – this trio held the audience throughout. One of the reasons I like coming to this joint – intimate surroundings, informal yet not over-reverent, populated by a mixed audience, age and sex, rather than a preponderance of grizzled veterans (like myself) nodding into their beards. Only drag tonight was – it would have been impossible to squeeze out of my seat quietly to get a drink during the long sets so no extra lubrication was available. But I can live with that – as can my burgeoning flesh.
Another flier of a gig down the Oto – which has got to be (for me) the best venue around these last couple of years for a range of exploratory musics. Makes me think about moving back to the metropolis...

I found this vid of Sullivan and Thompson which shows off their skills...



and one of Charles Gayle at the piano - in his 'Streets' costume...

Better late than never (?)...

Finally almost finished the Charles Gayle review - hardly hot off the press but been tied up with stuff... posting later...

Charles Gayle/Cafe Oto, Friday 14th January, 2011...

Charles Gayle and his trio were an absolute blast last night at Cafe Oto... more to follow...

Gren Bartley at the Criterion, Saturday January 8th, 2011... plus belated happy new year greetings...

Belated New Year's greetings to all... I'm off to see the mighty Charles Gayle at the Cafe Oto in a few days (see previous review here...) but ventured out on Saturday afternoon with Mr Marmion to Leicester, a kip of a place as we used to say in Dublin, but the Criterion is a great little bar and the attraction of a solo performance by one of our favourites, Gren Bartley was the main reason to drag us out of God's Little Acre for a few hours.
A fair crowd when we arrived, which would get bigger... the performance space is a relatively small room so lends itself to the intimacies of acoustic gigs. Gren was on good form – admitting that he had not played in public since before the New Year, he did not sound rusty at all. The usual exemplary picking on guitar and occasional banjo buttressed his voice which has been getting stronger down the years, a deeper emotional edge to it now. An eclectic mix of songs – from self-penned, old and very new, (i.e, the day before) to covers from Paul Curreri to Skip James via Leadbelly and Lonnie Johnson, among others. Criticism? One small one - perhaps a bit of throttling back on the mid-atlantic accent here and there, but that's a personal thing. What I do find fascinating is Gren's take on old blues numbers which he revitalises without slavish copying: coming at a diagonal almost from alternate bass 'folk' picking styles, the blue notes and runs are there but lightly inflect the songs rather than dominate. He's a fine writer as well, some interesting new stuff.

A lot of faces we knew there – these afternoon sessions are very much a meeting place for local musicians, especially now that the Phoenix lunchtime gig has gone down. Which means a lot of chat in the background but that's the nature of these gigs and the p.a. cuts through most of it – although we noticed Gren was turning it up as the afternoon went on and crowd lubrication levels rose. Nigel Lawson was at our table, asked up a couple of times to play some blues harp and acquitting himself well, some added value. (This is not Baron Lawson of Blaby, by the way, but the front man of local band Dangerous Dogs).
Relaxed, good vibes and good music...

Review: Ikue Mori/Lotte Anker/Steve Noble at the Cafe Oto, Sunday 28th November, 2010...

In the bleak midwinter with a vengeance...  But some warmth offered on the latest trip to town...  Sunday night last at the Cafe Oto...

The first set, three duos: Lotte Anker with Ikue Mori, Mori with Steve Noble, Anker with Noble.
Anker opened on soprano sax, easing in although they were both in the same high sound range, laptop/electronics giving chirruping undulations as Anker fenced for openings.  Sat just a few feet away from her, I saw the concentration and thought involved, part of the fascination of a live gig.  She has played with Ikue Mori before so they know each other's work but it was interesting to see her sound out the room, as it were.  They came together eventually –  equally absorbing to witness Mori respond speedily from what can be an unwieldy set up, as she did throughout.  This factor gave the night a special twist: during most improv gigs I've been to which have been weighted on the jazz side, the electronics never seem to mesh as equals.  (Especially noticeable at 'Freedom of the City').  This has a lot to do with the technology – it's not difficult to set up drones/washes of colour/various granular scrabblings but realtime fast reaction – for some -  is not so easy.  Here, for example, Anker – or Noble, can change direction/inflection etc in microseconds to respond or lead/offer a path with small muscular/breath gestures.  Unusually, in my experience, Mori was on the same footing, her small kit of electronics  and her laptop leading, blending and following with no problems of response delay/latency etc.  She came to the music via the New York downtown scene in the Seventies (starting off drumming with DNA - a great clip here of the younger Mori and co here...
), rather than from a jazz background and that often seems to be the way – that greater flexibility and imagination comes from the noise/rock/power electronics scenes, who do not sound as stodgy and unimaginative as many from more academic musical areas do.  A great opener.

Anker switched to alto for her set with Noble, more within free jazz areas, probably because of the instrumentation.  Some fine interplay, Anker a musician who is not afraid to stop and think occasionally – she has the technique down, sure, but does not seem to trot out any pet licks or coasting runs.  One of the most original saxophonists I've heard for a while.  They bent in and out of free-ish multi-level pulses and more abstract areas where sounds were sketched , layered, moulded.

Noble and Mori – different sonic spaces created yet again.  Noble has a wide range of techniques – at first sight he is playing a very standard kit, snare, raised tom, floor tom, bass drum, hi-hat and a couple of cymbals.  But as the evening progressed he produced more additions, various bits of ironmongery that are placed on drum heads, or sometimes scarily tossed aside to land with a crash.    These are struck/rubbed with a variety of sticks, brushes, beaters and hands to unroll a wide carpet of colours and options.  Small shaken instruments, maracca-like clacking  What appeared to be a large tuning fork was also brought into the sonic fray.  Noble is a tall guy with a wry face which betrays a certain sense of humour, I suspect – at one point in the night he produced a battered metronome which ticked away on a drum head as if in another universe of strictly measured time while all around it rhythms bent and stretched and multiplied.  Mori shows her musical origins - starting as a drummer, she moved to programming drum machines – and her skill at manipulating a laptop with minimal added electronics, as mentioned above, is well displayed tonight.  There is a sharp clarity and bite to her sounds, discrete pops and snaps unadorned by much effects decoration.  Operating at similar speeds to Noble, she also started to dig in with lower registers crumps and rumbles that echoed the role of bass.  I was too far away and in front of her to see what she had loaded on the laptop – apparently Max/MSP is the basis of her technique these days and she is obviously at ease with its deployment.

Second half – le tout ensemble.  An amazingly well sustained piece that held the room tight throughout.  Anker started on tenor but it seemed to get a bit muddied in the mix – those low roars from Mori especially blatting across that area - so she opted for alto and soprano, going back to the larger instrument when the air cleared for it later on.  She was happy to breathe easily, riding a note or short phrase as well as firing off longer lines when the spirit called.  It all moved together, freely improvised yet with much compositional intelligence.  They seemed to be winding down a couple of times near the end, then suddenly set off again.  Yet this was nothing superfluous, more afterthoughts that added value to the whole.  The (well-deserved) encore saw Noble swivelling almost into straight time with a couple of insistent figures that were echoed by Mori, then quickly unravelled between the trio.  And back.  Stunning stuff.  Despite the biting cold weather, agravated by the asinine tube strike, enough people came together to form a quorum who bore witness to some wonderful music, the Cafe Oto at its best, still my favourite space for music, despite the distance to travel involved...