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The Saxophone Phenomenon
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SLAMCD401
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A fantastic compilation of British contemporary saxophonists released in 1992, sold out years ago, sorry . The artists include Lol Coxhill, Evan Parker, Elton Dean, George Haslam, Paul Dunmall, Chris Biscoe, Alan Wilkinson.
This CD is now available by digital download:
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TRACKS:
The Wayward, Balladeer Lol Coxhill
Gossip, George Haslam
Dayday, Elton Dean
New Worlds, Paul Dunmall
Landscape Gardening, Paul Dunmall
Life After Room Service, Chris Biscoe
Sonf for Mr Patak, Evan Parker
Hasta Pronto, George Haslam, Daniel Harari
Odeon's Dropout Piece, Alan Wilkinson
JAZZ
To find a compilation which looks ahead not backwards, relishes new forms of expression instead of nostalgia, is rare these days. This is such a compilation, featuring seven reedsmen with an appetite for adventure within the liberating context of improvised music. Lol Coxhill's distinctive, sweetish soprano masterfully twists and turns, elongates and abbreviates, somehow remaining true to a romantic inclination, whereas 'Gossip' belies the charming and playful humour of the conversation between George Haslam's fruity baritone and versatile vocalist Liz Hodgson. Something about Elton Dean's playing remainds me of Coltrane's later, freer work; the beseeching tone, the effortless leaps from the leisurely to sharp intensity, perhaps. His alto is supported by Paul Rogers and Mark Sanders, two of Britain's gifted younger improvisers. Another is Paul Dunmall, whose two pieces with bassist Peter Brandt make sensitive as well as sensuous use of electronics. 'New Worlds' establishes an expansive sci-fi ambience through which Dunmall's C-melody sax seductively freefalls. Full Monte's contribution is nonchalantly fragmentary for the most part, then, suddenly, almost brought together by Chris Biscoe's quirky refrain on alto clarinet. Quite marvellous! As is the solo soprano piece by Evan Parker, which employs multiphonics and circular breathing to produce a seamless self-dialogue of unusual beauty. 'Hasta Pronto' (Haslam plus three Argentinians), however, sounds decidedly incongruous - seemingly closer to bebop than free jazz. Alan Wilkinson's powerful baritone supplies the appropriate conclusion, fired up by Simon H Fell and Paul Hession. Free improv devotees will welcome it. Sceptics will find it surprisingly varied and accessible. CHRIS BLACKFORD
THE WIRE
There is a light that never goes out, and itburnsin the bell of a saxophone.George Haslam's inventive and courageous compilation of modern sax in GB '92 is a convincing essay on the enduring capacity of the old twist of metal to say new things.These are mostly old campaigners at work - Haslam himself, Elton Dean, Paul Dunmall, Evan Parker, Chris Biscoe (on alto clarinet, but never mind), Lol Coxhill, and the relative upstart Alan Wilkinson - and while it won't be intended as an Old Farts Strike Back symposium, there's an amusing note of greybeard uproar in this packed (almost 80 minutes) CD. Saxes are plastic enough to slip into most improvising environments, although I'm not sure if the "dominant" role which the sleeve-note speaks of would have other instrumentalists in agreement. It's the muscularity ofsax timbre which dominates this record, played on soprano, baritone, C melody, alto and alto clarinet here. Sax is still a macho matter and it would have been interesting to have offered a more explicitly feminine viewpoint to this phenomenon. Still, on musical reward, these nine pieces score highly. Especially valuable to be reminded of Lol Coxhill's solo soprano, now far less often heard on record than in the 70s and 80s; the Dean-Rodgers-Sanders trio, a compelling argument for a "pure" free-jazz survival; and the astounding Wilkinson-Fell-Hession trio, which is surely surpassing even the Brotzmann/Van Hove/Bennink group for raw power and ideas. Evan Parker's brief solo is as fine a piece of eloquence as he has given us lately and Haslam's own two contributions trace George's scholarly and assiduous kind of post-free playing to vivideffect. It's also a tribute to some of the unsung music venues that still support this music: Holywell Music Room, The Red Rose Club, Jackson's Lane, Leeds's The Room and Evan Parker's Kitchen. MIKE FISH
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