Additional information
This compilation of improvised music was conceived and compiled by Rhodri Davies and Mark Wastell. Recorded at Saint Michael & All Angels Church, London, England between September 1999 & November 2001. Includes liner notes by Mark Wastell, Rhodri Davies and Martin Davidson. Personnel: Aleksander Kolkowski (violin); John Butcher (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Alan Tomlinson (trombone); Oren Marshall (tuba); Veryan Weston (organ); Matt Hutchinson (synthesizer, electronics); Eddie Prévost (cymbals, gong); Roger Turner (percussion); Simon Vincent, Eddie Vincent, Steve Beresford (electronics). Liner Note Authors: Mark Wastell; Martin Davidson . Recording information: 09/16/1999-11/22/2001. Photographer: David Reid. From 1999 to 2001, Rhodri Davies and Mark Wastell organized a series of free improvisation concerts in the St. Michael and All Angels church in West London. The exceptional acoustics and relatively remote location (away from the downtown scene) allowed for intimate settings and a chance for performers and audience to become one with the building. Most concerts were recorded, and upon completion of the series the organizers compiled this double-CD set for the leading British free improv label Emanem, making sure not to duplicate All Angels recordings already available and excluding their own performances (a shame really, although Davies has an excellent concert with his trio Cranc on the Greek label Edo). There are ten performances represented here, each by a piece lasting between seven and 25 minutes. Three consist of duets, the others are solos, and all explore a form of non-idiomatic improvisation that relies on interactions with natural acoustics and the use of silence as a backdrop, without turning the latter into a rigid rule. Fabienne Audéoud's vocal explorations and Veryan Weston's church organ solo bookend the album, both bringing listeners back to the two main concerns of the architects. Each track mesmerizes the listener, the occasional (very faint) leakage of street sounds only adding authenticity to the experience. The duet by John Butcher and Matt Hutchinson and Eddie Prévost's solo stand out, but the piece by Oren Marshall (tuba) and Mark Sanders (percussion) is probably the biggest surprise -- against expectations. The other performers are John Russell, Steve Beresford, and Roger Turner; Aleks Kolkowski; Alan Tomlinson; and Simon Vincent. Clocking in at a generous 157 minutes, this album is to be savored one track at a time. Recommended. ~ François Couture
