Emanem CDs 2009-2010

VERYAN WESTON "Allusions" (2002) EMANEM 5001
Most of an solo piano concert performed in Bordeaux. The free improvising basically follows on from his 1993 recording Playing Alone (Acta 9). It is mostly a leap forward from the earlier album, but there are also some fond looks backwards as when fragments of tunes from the jazz age creep in. One can hear the influence of the two major pianists of the 1960s - both the spaciousness of Paul Bley and the density of Cecil Taylor - and also that of composers, most notably Béla Bartók and, above all, Conlon Nancarrow, who used piano rolls to create music not playable by mere mortals. Out of all these influences, Weston has long found his own voice in a style that is administered strictly through the keyboard and pedals. His improvising ranges from somewhat isolated pecks at the keyboard to involved passages that sound impossible for one pianist to play. There are times when his left and right hands sound like fairly unrelated entities, as if there was a duet going on. 79 minutes.

OKKYUNG LEE / PETER EVANS / STEVE BERESFORD "Check for Monsters" (2008) EMANEM 5002
Cellist Lee organised this trio with Evans on trumpets and Beresford on piano for a mini-tour. This CD contains music from two of their four concerts - in New York City and Philadelphia. Although they had not played together before as a trio, they manage to sound like a long-standing improvising group, with much togetherness and listening to each other - finding numerous ways to complement each other. The music is often very dense or fast, but they do frequently come back down to earth. Anyone who either likes or dislikes any of the participants is bound to enjoy this music which showcases both the individuals and the group. 58 minutes.

MILO FINE "Ananke" (2006/7) EMANEM 5003
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 saxophonist JARON CHILDS and percussionist DAVU SERU in a trio set that ranges from the minimal to full-on blowing. This should appeal to those who love pianos both in and out of tune. 79 minutes.

SOPHIE AGNEL "Capsizing Moments" (2008) EMANEM 5004
A veritable tour de force of 'inside' prepared piano playing - preppiano extensif. The whole of a solo improvisation 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 rock all of which result in a remarkable sound world far removed from that usually associated with the piano. This is her second solo CD - the first (on Vand'Oeuvre) was made in 2000, and since then she has appeared in several duos and trios with a variety of musicians. 51 minutes.

ARC "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2008) EMANEM 5005
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 and Slam. 52 minutes.

STELLARI STRING QUARTET "Gocce Stellari" (2006/7) EMANEM 5006
PHILIPP WACHSMANN (violin), CHARLOTTE HUG (viola), MARCIO MATTOS (cello), JOHN EDWARDS (double bass).
If there were stars in the world of free improvisation, then the members of this quartet would surely be among them - four very distinctive and fluent musicians, who also have the talent to work together to produce a fifth distinctive and fluent entity, namely an improvising string quartet. The whole of their performance at the 2007 UNCOOL Festival in Switzerland is included, as well as some studio recordings made near London the previous year. These unamplified performances prove that here is still plenty of life in the violin family. 69 minutes.

GROSSE ABFAHRT "Vanity" (2008) EMANEM 5007
TOM DJLL (trumpet, preparations & electronics), MATT INGALLS (clarinet, bass clarinet),
MATTHIEU WERCHOWSKI (viola, violin), THERESA WONG (cello), DAVID CHIESA (double bass)
JOHN SHIURBA (electric guitar), GTIM PERKIS (electronics), GINO ROBAIR (energised surfaces & voltage made audible).
Tom Djll put this electro-acoustic improvising octet together when Matthieu Werchowski and David Chiesa were visiting the San Francisco area, resulting in some performances that are more about the group than the individuals. A duet by the two visitors is also included. 60 minutes.

ROSS BOLLETER "Night Kitchen" (2002-9) EMANEM 5008
An hour of ruined piano - 14 solo improvisations on up to 5 ruined pianos simultaneously with no overdubbing. These tracks (with two exceptions) were recorded at night, or at dawn at the latest. The four or five pianos occupy most of the kitchen, and are set up so that they can be played simultaneously.
63 minutes.

"Teatime" (1973-5) EMANEM 5009
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 are two brutally-edited quartet performances (one without Todd and one without Coombes), plus a complete saxophone/guitar duo, all from 1975. There are also two very short percussion codas from the previous year. Added to the CD is a no-holds-barred guitar/percussion duo from 1973. The music is a pleasure in itself as well as being of historical interest. Unlike the 'first generation' that tended to perform in groups with fairly stable personnels, the 'second generation' tended to change line-up every gig, inspiring Derek Bailey to start his Company series.
Reissue of Incus LP 15 with additional material. 53 minutes.

Available mid September

LOL COXHILL & ROGER TURNER "Success with your dog" (2003/10) EMANEM 5010

Available mid September

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