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CD RELEASES part 9


MICHAEL KEITH / JOHN OSWALD / ROGER TURNER "Number Nine" (2005) EMANEM 4129
Two Toronto musicians and a visitor from London formed this trio that has worked on both sides of the Atlantic. Group improvisations on acoustic guitar, alto saxophone and percussion that cover the whole gamut from dense high-energy to sparse interactions. 51 minutes.



KENT CARTER STRING TRIO "Intersections" (2004/5) EMANEM 4130
KENT CARTER's current String Trio, with ALBRECHT MAURER on violin, KATRIN MICKIEWICZ on viola and the leader on double bass, somehow manages to sound like a classical chamber trio, a jazz group, a European folk band, and a free improvising group simultaneously, whilst sounding totally natural and unlaboured. Their unique niche features magnificent improvisations framed by strong compositions contributed by all three musicians, plus some collective creations. A worthy follow up to THE WILLISAU SUITES from 1984. 69 minutes.



ROSWELL RUDD "Blown Bone" (1976) EMANEM 4131
Previously only available on a very rare 1979 Japanese LP, these two jazz sessions feature Rudd as a fine composer/arranger and organiser of unlikely-looking line-ups, as well as an exceptional trombonist. The CD opens with Rudd, ENRICO RAVA (trumpet), STEVE LACY (soprano sax), WILBUR LITTLE (bass) and PAUL MOTIAN (drums) all showing themselves to be in good form. Then SHEILA JORDAN (voice) joins them for some timely environmental protest. The other session (from the previous day) has KENNY DAVERN (clarinet), TYRONE WASHINGTON (tenor sax) and PATTI BOWN (electric piano) added to Rudd, Lacy, Little and Motian to perform Rudd's 'Blown Bone Suite'. This includes an urban blues featuring bluesman LOUISIANA RED, and a Latin number on which Washington and Davern excel. There's also a short previously unissued interlude from 1967 featuring saxophonist ROBIN KENYATTA with Rudd on piano. Reissue of Philips RJ-7490 with extra material. 51 minutes.



MILO FINE & VIV CORRINGHAM "Senilità" (2005) EMANEM 4132
Vocalist Viv Corringham recently moved from London to Minnesota and contacted Milo Fine. This CD contains most of their first public gig together. The first third features just the two of them, whilst the remainder has two of Fine's fine regular collaborators - electric guitarist CHARLES GILLETT and drummer DAVU SERU - added for some quartet improvising. Fine plays clarinets and marimba with electronics and a little bit of voice. An inspired new slant for all concerned. 73 minutes.



ELLIOTT SHARP & REINHOLD FRIEDL "Feuchtify" (2001) EMANEM 4133
A sequence of 13 improvised duets featuring Sharp on soprano sax, dobro, electric fretless guitar, 8-string guitarbass and computer, and Friedl playing inside piano and prepared piano. The results are more instrumental, less electronic than on their previous duo album - ANOSTALGIA on Grob. 70 minutes.



SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE "Frameworks" (1968/71/73) EMANEM 4134
Three different groups in performances utilising frameworks devised by John Stevens sending the music into unexpected areas. From mid-1968 there is the unusual line-up of JOHN STEVENS (percussion), NORMA WINSTONE (voice), KENNY WHEELER (fluegelhorn), PAUL RUTHERFORD (trombone) and TREVOR WATTS (bass clarinet) in a wide-ranging half-hour sequence. Another half-hour sequence features the superb 1971 quartet of STEVENS (percussion & voice), JULIE TIPPETT (voice & guitar), WATTS (soprano sax) and RON HERMAN (double bass) reintroducing some emotional elements of Free Jazz into the group improvising. Finally, there is a short performance of the hyper-minimalist piece 'Flower' by the 1973 duo of STEVENS and WATTS. 72 minutes - all previously unissued.



ADAM BOHMAN & ROGER SMITH "Reality Fandango" (2004/6) EMANEM 4135
At the end of 2004, Adam Bohman went to Roger Smith's home, and the duo recorded two extended improvisations included in their entirety. Bohman returned a year and a half later, resulting in four short duos to fill out the CD. Smith played Spanish guitar, and Bohman a table top covered with objects including a prepared violin. Apart from a very short section of electric guitar, no electronics or amplification were used, so that both musicians could hear themselves and each other (unlike their intervening Southend concert). The music sounds like no other (although there are certain similarities to the Three Pullovers from 30 years earlier). 75 minutes.



LOL COXHILL "More Together Than Alone" (2000-5) EMANEM 4136
Soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill always sounds good regardless of what area he is playing in and who he is playing with. This collection just features his free improvising, but with a variety of partners. The late HUGH DAVIES was a master instrument inventor. Guitarist JOHN RUSSELL is one of the major stalwarts of the London improvising scene (like Coxhill). HENRY LOWTHER has been a much sought-after jazz trumpeter since the 1960s, but has always kept a toe in free waters. PAT THOMAS is a remarkable pianist as well as being a dab hand at getting the most out of electronics as can be heard here. There is also a substantial solo performance from one of the pioneers of unaccompanied saxophone improvisation - someone who remains one of the best practitioners of the art. 69 minutes.



TERRY DAY "2006 Duos" EMANEM 4137
These five duos mark Terry Day's return to small group improvising after an over-long absence caused by ill health. He is mainly playing his home-made bamboo pipes, but also uses his voice (reciting two poems and otherwise) as well as an echo toy and a cold water bottle. His partners are CHARLOTTE HUG (viola & voice), RHODRI DAVIES (harp), PHIL MINTON (voice), HANNAH MARSHALL (cello) and JOHN RUSSELL (guitar). The duo with Hug comes from the 2006 FREEDOM OF THE CITY festival.77 minutes.



JOHN RUSSELL "Analekta" (2004/6) EMANEM 4138
Three duos and a Quaqua. Russell's monthly Mopomoso concerts usually end with him playing a duo - this CD contains three examples. The guitarist's first duo with tenor saxophonist GARRY TODD was in 1975 and appeared on a long deleted Incus LP - this is a reunion 30 years later. An ongoing duo has been that of Russell and jazz trumpeter HENRY LOWTHER - not as unlikely as it may seem. CHEFA ALONSO, who plays soprano saxophone and percussion, is a new encounter for the guitarist. Also included is the nine-piece Quaqua that Russell organised for the 2006 FREEDOM OF THE CITY festival with NICOLE LEGROS & JEAN-MICHEL VAN SCHOUWBURG (voices), STEFAN KEUNE (alto saxophone), PHILIPP WACHSMANN (violin), ASHLEY WALES (piano), IVOR KALLIN (double bass), JAVIER CARMONA (percussion), and STEVE BERESFORD electronics). 78 minutes.



freedom of the city 2006 EMANEM 4139
Three groups from the 2006 festival. The opening trio comprises two musicians from Spain and one from New Zealand who have been based in London for a few years - CHEFA ALONSO (soprano saxophone), DAVID LEAHY (double bass), and JAVIER CARMONA (percussion). The following quartet came from Brussels just for the festival - JEAN-MICHEL VAN SCHOUWBURG (voice), ADELHEID SIEUW (flutes, voice), JAN HUIB NAS (guitar), and GUY STRALE (clarinet, piano, percussion). The final quartet comprises four veteran London-based improvisers who have been part of the London scene for decades - GARRY TODD (tenor saxophone), NIGEL COOMBES (violin), NICK STEPHENS (double bass), and TONY MARSH (percussion). There may not be any 'household names' on this CD, but all the musicians surely deserve to be much better known. 76 minutes.



PHIL MINTON QUARTET "Slur" (2006) EMANEM 4140
PHIL MINTON (voice), JOHN BUTCHER (soprano & tenor saxophones), VERYAN WESTON (piano), and ROGER TURNER (percussion). As well as putting this quartet together in the mid-1990s, Phil Minton has been working with the other three musicians in duos. The quartet initially performed utilising texts from James Joyce's 'Finnegans Wake', as can be heard on their previous Victo CD. Back again a decade later, they are now improvising without using any known words. 50 minutes.



TRIO OF UNCERTAINTY "Unlocked" (2007) EMANEM 4141
VERYAN WESTON (piano), HANNAH MARSHALL (cello) & SATOKO FUKUDA (violin). A leading member of the London improvising scene teams up with two very talented newer members, both of whom come from 'classical' backgrounds. The result is improvised chamber music of the highest order, with no sign of any uncertainty. 61 minutes.



JOHN BUTCHER "The Geometry of Sentiment" (2004/6) EMANEM 4142
John Butcher's latest collection of saxophone solos starts off in a Japanese cavern and ends up in a German gas holder (with even more echo). In between there are performances at 'normal' venues in London and Paris. A couple of tracks use amplification and feedback. 60 minutes.



ELLIOTT SHARP & CHARLOTTE HUG "pi:k" (2004/5) EMANEM 4143
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. 57 minutes.



PAUL RUTHERFORD "Solo in Berlin 1975" EMANEM 4144
Recorded a year after his acclaimed masterpiece, THE GENTLE HARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE, these three festival sets are at least as good. They find Rutherford at his most original and inventive, making wild music by enhancing his trombone with his voice, with mutes and other objects, as well as using his awesome speed and stunning range. No-one else has made the trombone sound like this, before or since. 75 minutes. 5 minutes originally on an FMP sampler - the rest is previously unissued.



Continued in Part 10

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