Straight Horning: Steve Lacy - Free for a Minute

Steve Lacy - Free for a Minute (Emanem)

First up, many thanks to one of my readers for giving me the heads-up on this new release. The 2-disc set contains re-issues of the albums Disposability (trio with Kent Carter & Aldo Ramano) and Sortie (with Enrico Rava added to the trio), and two previously unissued sessions including the soundtrack for the (unreleased) film Free Fall and an early quintet recording. Free for a Minute documents a fascinating period in Lacy’s career as he moved from playing tunes into free improvisation, looser forms, and his own compositions.

Disposability (1965) is as an extension of his work from the 50s and 60s and contains pieces by Thelonious Monk, Carla Bley, Cecil Taylor. It’s also the beginning of this transitional period, featuring the earliest works written by Lacy to date (“Barble,” “M’s Transport” and “Chary”) and a free improvisation (“There We Were”). It makes for a nice combination of the familiar and charting new territory. 

From a quick peek at Lacy’s discography Sortie (1966) appears to be the first album featuring his own compositions exclusively, or are they? The reissue liner notes state that they may in fact be excerpts from longer free improvisations (and the original notes refer to them as free improvisations too). It’s still early days, and perhaps some closer listening could bring forms/composed material to light, but I’m leaning towards the free improvisation line of thinking (and if it is, Sortie pre-dates The Forest and The Zoo). Either way, I like the blend and rapport he has with Rava on this searching set. 

I hadn’t heard Paul Motian and Lacy together so Free Fall (1967) grabbed my attention. Comprised of 13 short improvisations that Lacy assigned certain limitations, Free Fall is at the quieter end of the spectrum and perhaps is more varied than some of the other free improvisations on the two discs. It’s rare to hear the entire quintet (Lacy, Rava, Karl Berger (vibes/piano) Carter & Motian) playing at once, and when they do it's less dense than on Sortie.

The high energy blowing on The Rush and The Thing (1972) features an early incarnation of what became one of his main working groups - the quintet with Steve Potts, Irene Aebie, Kent Carter, and Noel McGhie (it was a few years before Oliver Johnson took over the drum stool). “The Rush,” as its name suggests is surging, intense, and full-throttle blowing. “The Thing” begins less dense but is still abstract and lively as it builds into frenzy. The second part has clearer movements with sections for duos, solos, quiet movements, and collective improvisation.

Emanem have put together another really strong package. They have released some nice stuff lately... eventually I will get to writing a little about Cycles - another Lacy 2CD set they released this year (or was it 2016?), and there's more SME too. But for now, if you are a Lacy fan Free For a Minute is a fascinating listen. 

Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Withdrawal

Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Withdrawal

Kenny Wheeler (trp/flugel) Paul Rutherford (trb) Trevor Watts (as/oboe/flute/voice) Evan Parker (ss/ts) Derek Bailey (g) Barry Guy (b/p) John Stevens (d) and pretty much everyone plays percussion. Recorded in September 1966 and March 1967.

Oh, what a year does. Compared to Challenge, this album is more in line with the music I associate with Spontaneous Music Ensemble. For my first run through I didn’t read the liner notes, which is a pretty common approach for me when listening to an album for the first time. However, in this case it was encouraged by a power cut that had me don the headphones and listen along with the glow of my computer screen (until it dawned on me the reason it was so dark was that the curtains were closed).

The first four tracks were recorded as the soundtrack for a film from which this album draws its name. The music moves slowly with arco bass underpinning the (mostly) sustained sounds and flurries from the horns. The flurries build and the drums become more present as the overall sound becomes far denser. Kenny Wheeler sounds more confident than on the group’s previous outing, although I’m not really hearing things in terms of soloists and accompanists but rather listening to the overall group sound (which is quite distinctive and cohesive). The opening of “Part 1C” sees the horns and drums ramp things up and the arco bass (which sounds great) emerges as the dynamics drop (was it there all along?) and the horns trade phrases and lock in with held notes.

“Part 2” opens with very high arco and a dialogue between Wheeler and Watts (on alto, up to this point he had mostly been on oboe). When the drone returns to the low register the rest of the horns enter while remaining quite sparse in their approach. Eventually the drums are added, though just momentarily, before the dialogue between Wheeler and Watts returns although with the ever-present drone of bass. Throughout the proceedings it is interesting to hear Parker taking such a back seat, with his contributions not nearly as prominent as the other horns (especially Wheeler and Watts) and a nice reminder that artists rarely, if ever, hit the scene fully formed. The arco bass, and to a lesser extent the glockenspiel, provide continuity throughout the work and while the bass may be somewhat repetitive, I feel that it worked and I didn’t tire of it.

Two questions remain: 1) would I have guessed it was soundtrack music had I not read the back cover? And 2) has anyone seen the film? I wouldn’t mind seeing it.

Next up are the three movements that comprise the “Withdrawal” suite. Straight away there are a couple of noticeable differences. First, Barry Guy is no longer only droning on bass and second is the addition of guitarist Derek Baily. My ears readjust and I realize that the trumpet is now muted and the glockenspiel (or are they vibes? …. I think the latter - probably played by Parker and/or Watts as I’m not hearing much/anything from them) has a more active roll as do the drums (“Sequence 1” ends with a drum solo). All of these factors contribute to creating a very different texture than was present on the soundtrack recordings.

The texture continues to shift on “Sequence 2” with Watts opening on flute, Stevens focuses on the toms and Guy at the piano (combining strumming with more conventional playing). The brass enter along with some very tasty (and rather quiet) guitar from Bailey. Stevens shifts focus to the cymbals as Watts begins singing into his flute and Guy moves onto the bass with an approach that is similar to the soundtrack recordings.

“Sequence 3” keeps the energy levels higher, although I’m not feeling as if people are overly playing. Steven’s is busy at the drums and his playing over the arco bass brought to mind Haden and Higgins on “Lonely Women” (although completely different!) as the horns play hits together. In contrast to the first two “Sequences” this piece is much shorter and I feel ends before it really has had all it can say but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The final four tracks that make up the suite “Seeing Sounds & Hearing Colours,” might be my favourite of album. The group moves together as one and the pieces unfold naturally at a nice pace. For me, one of the strengths of this suite conciseness of the movements - between 4-7 mins each - enough time to let things develop without dragging. What exactly is composed and what is improvised? It’s hard to tell really, but I like the ambiguity (apparently each piece is based around a particular texture).

Emanem has put together a nice package with some background notes, full instrumentation listing and photos from the soundtrack recording session some live concert shots.

Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Challenge

Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Challenge (Emanem)

Having heard a smattering of their recordings, I’m finally getting around to listening to Spontaneous Music Ensemble a bit more carefully. I figured starting at the beginning is probably a sound move. Challenge, recorded in March 1966, is a fascinating album as it captures SME in its formative stages. In fact, had this been a blindfold test I may not have been able to pin point it.

This incarnation of SME features Kenny Wheeler (trpt) Paul Rutherford (trb) Trevor Watts (as/ss) John Stevens (d) and Bruce Cale and Jeff Clyne (splitting the bass duties).

There are moments that hint at the freer approach that was to come (the collective playing on “End to a Beginning”) but for me the music still fits comfortably into the “Free Jazz” mode with composed pieces by Watts, Rutherford and Stevens, soloists with accompaniment, some collective improvising and a rhythm section swinging - nothing particularly unconventional for the time. And that’s not a criticism, the music remains engaging throughout and I feel they create a solid ensemble sound. It’s thoughtful and dynamic music. 

“E.D’s Message” opens the album and it doesn’t hold back with plenty of high-energy output from Trevor Watts - perhaps the boldest solo voice on the album, although Rutherford has some nice moments too such as on “After Listening.” The rhythm section comfortably moves between time and a more textural approach. At times things get pretty busy but Stevens sounds assured throughout and is a very responsive accompanist. There are a few nice arco spots from Cale too. It’s funny how something pricks up your ears. For me, it was Stevens’ cymbal work on “Travelling Together” - a whispering shimmer that moves to a bell pattern just as the piece seemly comes to an end before the drum solo takes flight. Wheeler still seems to be finding his feet in this setting and is somewhat more tentative than the others with maybe just the occasional hint at his mature style. He gets a bit of room to move on “After Listening,” which features solos from the each of the horns. A standout from this track is the superb accompaniment of Stevens and Cale. They manage to lock in with each soloist, creating music informed by the soloist rather than relying on rote accompaniment.

There is something familiar about some of the pieces and I struggled to put my finger on what it was. As I continued to listen throughout the week I was reminded, on more than one occasion, of the Bobby Bradford/John Carter Quartet. I guess there are some similarities…. bass and drums with horns (in this case three rather than two) and a post-Ornette vibe that is present at times - but I’m still not sure that’s what it is. [Side Note: I’m not overly familiar with the Bradford/Carter group, eventually I might get to a more in depth listen to them as well.]

For the final track on the disc, Chris Cambridge (b) and Evan Parker (ss) join John Stevens and Trevor Watts. Recorded in April, 1967, “Distant Little Soul,” is moving towards what I hear in my mind’s ear when I think of SME - exploratory (rather than experimental) group improvisation at the quieter end of the spectrum.   

So far, this is the earliest recording of Parker’s I have heard and the distinctive voice he developed is still in its infancy. It’s fascinating hearing players early in their career (Bird with Jay McShann, Lee Konitz with Claude Thornhill etc.) so for fans of Evan Parker this track is worth the price of admission. Withdrawn contains some Parker from around the same time… I’ll be getting to that album next.

Sunday Evening Playlist

In order to free up space on the book shelf I spent some time on Sunday placing albums into space-saving sleeves. I kept a few albums aside that I haven't listened to in a while and played some tracks from each. Three quarters of an hour well spent.

"The Spinx" and "Folk Tale" from Bruning/Griener/Petrowsky/Prins: Ornette Et Cetera (Jazzwerkstatt)

"Peace on Earth" from David Liebman: The Distance Runner (HatOLOGY)

"Photographers" and "Increased (b)" from Frank Gratkowski: The Voice Imitator (Balance Point Acoustics)

"A Short Time to Sing" from John Butcher: The Geometry of Sentiment (Emanem)

"Part 1" of Arnold Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire (Deutsche Grammophon)

First Discs of 2016

During the trip home over Christmas and New Year I managed to squeeze in a trip to Slow Boat Records. Pushed for time, I planned to rush in and pick up Small Holes In The Silence. Unfortunately they didn't have it, but never fear, a quick browse resulted in the following:

Steve Lacy & Maarten Altena: High, Low and Order (HatArt)

Lol Coxhill & Veryan Weston: Boundless (Emanem)

Spontaneous Music Orchestra: For You To Share (Emanem)

I managed to exhibit some self control - it wasn't easy as they had a bumper crop of albums from labels such as FMP, HatArt, Emanem etc. Before school kicks back in I will make some time to give them a listen.

Recent Listening: Clayton/Granelli & Spontaneous Music Ensemble

Jay Clayton & Jerry Granelli Sound Songs (Winter & Winter)
This album has been on the "to get" list for a little while after being highly recommended by my friend Cheryl. Vocal and Drum/Percussion duets are fairly rare and that alone makes it worth checking out. But I won't stop there - the music is superb.

The majority of the album is made up of what I safely assume are free improvisations. There is an improvised(?) setting of Emily Dickenson's "I'm Nobody" and the duo's take on "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" is one of the best I can recall hearing.

Initially, I was struck by the use space and dynamics from both players and this remained on repeated listens. There is an unhurried feel to the album and the dialogue between the two throughout the album is top shelf. They keep things interesting with changes in timbre, textures, feeling etc. Fascinating listening and one of the best vocal albums I've heard for a while.

This is a straight reissue of the material found on the LP release by JMT Productions from 1985 and the 43 minute length sits well with me. It's a nice length for focussed listening. A highly recommended album that I'm already adding to my 2015 Round-Up.


Spontaneous Music Ensemble Oliv & Familie (Emanem)
Reissued last year, this release features a couple of sessions from 1968 and 1969. Three of the four pieces are by 9 & 11 piece groups and one by a quartet. There are plenty of familiar names - John Stevens (d) Evan Parker (ss) Norma Winstone (v) Trevor Watts (as/piccolo) Dave Holland (b) Derek  Bailey (g) and Kenny Wheeler (flugel horn). I was pleasantly surprised to see New Zealander Brian Smith on flute - I had no idea he was involved with this group of players (from SME to Moonlight Sax..... quite a leap).

I've gave this disc a few spins before jotting down some notes during one of the listens. Here they are.... slightly edited so they make some kind of sense.

"Familie" Opens up with a droning pedal tone (which underpins most of the piece). I enjoy the blend and there is a haunting, floating quality with the piano, guitar and drums gradually becoming more prominent. The sustained notes remain as players interject with runs, stabs and flurries of notes.  There is no "soloist" as such - it's a collective effort and a unified one at that. By the middle of the piece the sustained notes have all but disappeared, the improvising is more line orientated with the bass and drums up tempo - the overall feel is busier/denser. Things settle down for the final few minutes and the sustained notes return.

The second version is 8mins shorter (sounds like there could be a fade-in at the start). Things seem to move faster with the density rising quicker and remains for the majority of the track before the droning sound returns to takes things out.

"Oliv" first take features a 9 piece ensemble
Kicks off with vocals, percussion and saxophone. Wheeler has a soloist roll with drone from the three vocalists and Watts with accompaniment from Bailey. Eventually the bass kicks in and is joined by piano and drums with the time feel broken up (before settling into a mid tempo swing). Wheeler blows before the piano takes over and the drone continues beneath. Three quarters of the way through things are quite dense and energy levels high with Wheeler, Bailey and Peter Lever collectively improvising before things drop up down as the end fairly sparsely.

The second take is stripped back to the quartet of Maggie Nichols (v) Trevor Watts (as) Johnny Dyani (b) and John Stevens (d). As you would expect the sound is less dense and I find there is more clarity for the listener - Watts and Nichols work around the drone - shaping, breaking and rejoining it while Dyani plays rich pizzicato lines and Stevens' toms keep the piece driving. Again there is not really a soloist and accompaniment - the quartet collectively improvises (by the middle of the piece the drone has been left behind altogether) and the playing in general is busier. The drone comes back in around the11 minute mark and now this is a more soloistic approach from the bass. The ending is a treat (I won't spoil it for you).

A few things stood out to me on this disc - the composed structures, the presence of the vocalists and hearing Parker and Bailey very much in the background on both takes of "Familie." Another enjoyable disc that is well worth giving a listen or three. I'm looking forward to checking out more early recordings from SME.