1 	One 	11:01
2 	Two 	2:02
3 	Three 	9:50
4 	Four 	5:03
5 	Five 	14:53

Saxophone – Evan Parker
Trombone – George Lewis

This stunning collection of saxophone and trombone duos was recorded at the Art Workers' Guild in London by Adam Skeaping back in May 1980 and originally released on Incus, a label that Evan Parker ran jointly with guitarist Derek Bailey. The fact that there's no mention of this on this reissue on Parker's own PSI imprint testifies to the frosty relations that still exist between the two giants of improvised music. Fortunately, trombonist George Lewis has remained on good terms with both; in point of fact, it's hard to see how anyone could dislike Lewis if his rambunctious virtuosity and good-humored mastery of the trombone are anything to go by. He can take it up into soprano sax country or plunge it into the piano bottom octave register at will, pop, plop and crackle like a toyshop and go head to head with Parker's legendary circular breathing. Parker's early 1980s albums mark the boundary between his early, angular playing (traces of a jazz past are never far from the surface) and the awesome virtuosity of his later work, especially on soprano. The re-release of this album is cause for celebration indeed -- would that Lewis could use his good offices to negotiate a Parker / Bailey truce, and with it the reissue of their mythic and magnificent first Incus outing, The Topography of The Lungs. ---Dan Warburton, AllMusic Review

Originally issued on LP in 1980, From Saxophone & Trombone ought to offer fans of trombonist George Lewis and saxophonist Evan Parker quite a bit to get revved up about. No frills or hidden agendas to be found throughout these five improvisation based works. You name it—they cover it! The duo explores various harmonic twists and turns amid microtonal sounds and ethereal soundscapes. They dig deep from within while also displaying the utmost improvisational acumen, as most of us would come to expect.

On the first track ("One"), the artists engage in circular movements and temperate exchanges, as Lewis' droning, muted lines anchors Parker's wide-ranging developments. The duo forsakes an austere approach on numerous occasions. They integrate wit and whimsy into a series of verbose exchanges while frequently veering off into angular dialogues complete with abnormal musical sounds. At times, they seemingly let the chips fall into some sort of randomized order. That's the beauty of it all. However, in lesser hands, these situations do not always pan out. It's all about artistry in motion and the duo's acute cognizance of dynamics and temperance. (Recommended) ---Glenn Astarita, allaboutjazz.com

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1 	London Part I 	18:16
2 	Copenhagen Part I 	4:35
3 	Copenhagen Part II 	7:53
4 	London Part II 	7:29

Bass – Adam Pultz Melbye
Drums – Anders Vestergaard
Piano – Jacob Anderskov
Tenor Saxophone – Evan Parker

The fruitful association between English saxophonist Evan Parker, an authority in the free improvisation panorama, and the Lisbon-based imprint Clean Feed has more than a decade. His latest recording for the cited record label involved The Kinetics, a Danish trio led by pianist Jacob Anderskov and featuring bassist Adam Pultz Melbye, and drummer Anders Vestergaard. On the inscrutable and yet mesmerizing Chiasm, they indulge in four pieces captured live in two European cities, London (at the Vortex Jazz Club) and Copenhagen (at DKDM Studio). At those places, the quartet funneled their creative forces into a solid package of music that flutters with labyrinthine paths and experimental structures.

Clocking in at 18 minutes, “London Part I” is the longest piece on the CD, kicking off with the pianist as he probes directions with fearlessness and creates a swampy sonic terrain whose magnetic effect drags us into its vortex. Parker infiltrates by blowing a razor-edged dissertation that, suddenly, becomes solely backed up by bass and drums. The versatile, highly interactive pianist adheres again, establishing a strangely zigzagging dialogue with the saxophonist, all flowering on top of an enthusiastic rhythmic tapestry. The last segment presents a shift in this atmosphere as the group obscures the canvas, yet nothing that can prevent the drums from emerging underneath the systematic flurries and blistering chords brought up by Anderskov.

“Copenhagen Part I” is made of an organic and strenuous continual movement that barely fluctuates within the consistent stream. Its mood differentiates from “Copenhagen Part II”, whose first layer is loosely established by piano and drums. Parker, whose obsessive blows range from cerebral to burning, jumps in to form a three-way communication channel over which, in due time, Melbye dispatches an interesting mix of pizzicato and arco bass reflections. Clearly, they are all working on the same wavelength, drowning their zest in a tense gravity to reach a noisy pinnacle before the calm ending.

“London Part II” closes the curtain with so much to admire. Parker ventures out alone, infusing percussive slap tonguing as part of his attractive burnished sound. He masters the saxophone with impressive control of circular breathing and unleashes multiple observations in the form of concentric bursts patterned with dark hues. With Coltrane in plain sight here, these are placed on top of the menacing soundscapes allocated by his co-workers.

Chiasm is inspired improvisation and another great effort in Parker’s never-ending pursuit of gripping, moody courses of sound and texture. ---Filipe Freitas, jazztrail.net

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1 	Hasselt 1 	10:12
2 	Hasselt 2 	11:41
3 	Hasselt 3 	15:54
4 	Hasselt 4 	34:37

Peter Evans - trumpet, piccolo trumpet (3, 4)
Ishikawa Ko - sho (1, 3, 4)
Ned Rothenberg - clarinet, bass clarinet (3, 4)
Peter van Bergen - A flat and contrabass clarinets (2, 4)
Evan Parker - soprano saxophone (4)
Agusti Fernandez - piano, prepared piano (1, 3, 4)
Barry Guy - double bass (2, 4)
Paul Lytton - percussion, live electronics (3, 4)
Richard Barrett - live electronics (2, 4)
Paul Obermayer - live electronics (2, 4)
Joel Ryan - sample and signal processing (4)
Walter Prati - live electronics, computer processing (1, 4)
Lawrence Casserley - signal processing instrument, percussion, voice (4)
Marco Vecchi - sound processing, sound projection (4)

Although Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble had recorded five albums for ECM since 1997, in 2009 saxophonist Parker's Psi label released SET under his own name; the album was effectively by the Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, sharing its personnel, instrumentation and working methods. At the time, it seemed as if it might have been released under Parker's name for contractual reasons. Now, with the release of Hasselt, the plot thickens; it is credited to Evan Parker Electroacoustic Ensemble (note the—significant?—absence of the hyphen and the capital A) and the personnel includes founder members Barry Guy (double bass), Paul Lytton (percussion, live electronics), Walter Prati (live electronics, computer processing) and Marco Vecchi (sound processing, sound projection) alongside such well-established members as Lawrence Casserley (signal processing instrument, percussion, voice), Agusti Fernandez (piano, prepared piano), Joel Ryan (sample and signal processing) and Furt (electronics).

Throughout its existence, the ensemble has continued to add new members; having started in 1990 as a sextet, at the last count they numbered close to twenty. Hasselt includes Ishikawa Ko on sho plus the Americans trumpeter Peter Evans and clarinetist Ned Rothenberg, all three of whom debuted on The Moment's Energy (ECM, 2009) while Dutch clarinetist Peter van Bergen makes his debut here (substituting for founder member violinist Philipp Wachsmann who was unavailable). So, within this version of the ensemble, there are eight instrumentalists and seven electronics players or processors, with Paul Lytton having a foot in each camp. That ratio ensures that the ensemble achieves its trademark symbiosis between real instruments and electronics, blurring the boundary between the two with neither dominating.

The music was recorded in concert in Hasselt, Belgium, over two consecutive nights in May 2010, at the end of a European tour. In some cities on that tour, the ensemble played two nights with the first designated as "Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble Break-Ups" and the second as the full ensemble. On the former, small sub-groups (of three to five members) from the ensemble improvised together with nothing pre-determined but the performers, recalling the widely-imitated methodology of Company. Of the four tracks on Hasselt, three are small groups while the fourth—from the second night—features an improvisation by the entire ensemble.

As with Company, the small groups throw together combinations of instruments and sounds that are fresh and stimulating. They all employ some electronics but, compared to the full ensemble, the balance leans more towards the instruments. So "Hasselt 1" brings together sho and piano plus live electronics and computer processing from Prati in a delicately beautiful piece, while the contrasting "Hasselt 2" combines double bass and clarinet with live electronics by FURT. On "Hasselt 3," Lytton is the sole electronicist in a quintet alongside trumpet, sho, clarinet and piano, and his use of electronics is noticeably more economical than Prati's or FURT's, meaning that, of any here, the piece comes closest to straight ahead instrumental improv. The use of three different electronics players in the three small groups provides a useful and interesting opportunity to compare their styles outside of the large ensemble.

By the start of "Hasselt 4" by the full ensemble, the album has already provided over 38 minutes of satisfying music, so that track feels like a bonus. Yet, remarkably, until it begins, we have not heard a note from Parker himself. That is soon remedied as his soprano saxophone is central to the ensemble, both heard directly and via the sampling and processing of the electronicists. While the ensemble's first two albums were studio-recorded, ever since the use of samples, live electronics and sound processing in their music has blurred the boundary between studio-recording and live performance. That is true of all four pieces here, irrespective of the group size or personnel, but most noticeably in "Hasselt 4" where so much processing takes place that it becomes impossible to tell the original from its image from the image of its image and so on. But, that blurring is the joy of this ensemble, both live and on disc, as it creates a shimmering kaleidoscopic effect that is as mesmerising here as ever.

Hasselt is a valuable addition to the discography of Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, complementing and expanding upon its earlier recordings. It is to be hoped that its continued expansion and experimentation will be further documented, either by ECM or by Psi. ---John Eyles, allaboutjazz.com

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1 	Track 1 	20:52
2 	Track 2 	17:52

Evan Parker - tenor saxophone
John Edwards - double bass
Steve Noble - drums, percussion

It is always a treat to see some major musical innovators in action. Especially in a mind-blowing line-up, at the top of their game and unrecorded until now on this impressive new Dropa Disc release. Evan Parker might be a member of some legendary trios - one with von Schlippenbach and Paul Lovens and one with Barry Guy and Paul Lytton - still this brilliant master of the saxophone and pioneer of free music managed to surprise us big time when he introduced his trio with John Edwards and Steve Noble to the Belgian audience in January of 2015. Together with this ultimate rhythm section - backing artists like Peter Brötzmann, Akira Sakata and Julie Kjaer, to name a few - Parker reals out a truly mesmerising demonstration, full of individual brilliance, but most of all with a collective cohesion rendered with majestic imagination and endless iridescence. PEN is the first release of this trio ever, fitting perfectly next to the best works in these stellar musicians ever expanding discography.---Dropa Disc

At a recent solo concert in Cologne, Evan Parker pondered whether he was improvising or repeating what he’s been playing for the last fifty years or so, but guessed he was doing both. This suggests uncertainty when reflecting on his performances, but his playing remains original, pursuing a clear aesthetic using established parameters which delineate his music. After so many years he doesn’t re-invent the wheel (who does?) which is why his individuality can be heard when performing in new settings. Parker has played with most of the leading figures in British improvisation, so it’s surprising that the trio with John Edwards and Steve Noble has been unrecorded, until now. In an earlier review of an Evan Parker release (City Fall) I sang the praises of John Edwards and Mark Sanders as a rhythm section (though they’re much more than that). Edwards and Steve Noble are of equal quality, having augmented, amongst others, Peter Brötzmann, Alan Wilkinson, Alex Ward, and Julie Kjaer.

On PEN Parker’s lines slip in and around bass and drums, blurred yet finely elaborated, like a northern light in a dark winter sky, bringing to mind one of Gerhard Richter’s abstract paintings. Like Richter, Parker displays a fluency and ease -- proficiency mastered but not on display. As Mingus once said: “Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.“

Whereas Richter seems to comment on an illusionary effect – the appearance of something not quite present – Parker’s more concrete. His tenor saxophone meanders and flows, as bass and drums flicker like stars. The music is tight and cohesive, with no unnecessary affects (one of the principles in his bands), as well as excellent timing. He lets Edwards and Noble prepare the ground before stepping into the arena, winding in a relaxed fashion through a maze of rolling bass and high speed percussion. Once warmed up, the trio progress effortlessly, with Parker’s softer, fuller tone, a characteristic of his more recent playing. In “Part 1“ Noble joins Edwards’ solo with sharp high-hat shots, their instruments sounding as one. When moving into his circular breathing, Parker’s co-musicians usually fall silent, but here Edwards’ filigree tremolos and dark drones and Noble’s cymbal crescendos provide a compliment.

PEN is another solid contribution to Evan Parker’s catalogue, hopefully there will be more releases by this excellent trio. ---Martin Schray with a little help from Colin Green, freejazzblog.org

Materiał zawarty na albumie „PEN” jest zapisem koncertu, jaki odbył się 24 stycznia 2015 roku w antwerpskiej sali Zuiderpershuis. Na wydanie musiał czekać jednak nieco ponad dwa lata; ukazał się – w limitowanym nakładzie pięciuset egzemplarzy – nakładem niezależnej wytwórni Dropa Disc, która powstała właśnie po to, aby dokumentować występy wykonawców freejazzowych pojawiających się we wspomnianym powyżej klubie. Na płytę składają się dwie instrumentalne, improwizowane kompozycje, którym muzycy nie nadali nawet post factum tytułów (co nie zdarza się często). Nam nie pozostaje więc nic innego, jak rozebranie ich teraz na czynniki pierwsze. Utwór otwierający krążek rozpoczyna minimalistycznie awangardowa sekcja rytmiczna. Przez jakiś czas można się nawet zastanawiać, czy mamy do czynienia z zespołem jazzowym, czy też z muzyką współczesną spod znaku Warszawskiej Jesieni. Wątpliwości zostają rozwiane w połowie drugiej minuty, kiedy do Edwardsa i Noble’a dołącza ze swoim saksofonem Parker.

Partia Brytyjczyka, choć oparta na intuicyjnej współpracy z kontrabasistą i perkusistą, trzyma się jednak pewnych granic. To typowe dla freejazzowych solistów starszej daty (jak na przykład Amerykanie Charles Gayle oraz Roswell Rudd czy Japończyk Akira Sakata), wychowanych na dokonaniach takich legend muzyki improwizowanej, jak Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane bądź Albert Ayler. I nie ma to nic wspólnego ze świadomym kastrowaniem własnej wyobraźni, wynika raczej z zamiłowania do poszukiwań w oparciu o konkretne motywy melodyczne czy harmoniczne. Przy takim podejściu kompozycja stanowi mimo wszystko całość – posiada wstęp, rozwinięcie i zakończenie. Tak właśnie jest w tym przypadku. Parker, jak na lidera przystało, prowadzi zespół, choć potrafi też wycofać się na dalszy plan lub nawet całkowicie zamilknąć. W takich sytuacjach, aby wzbogacić brzmienie, jego kompani sięgają po dodatkowe środki wyrazu – Noble wykorzystuje liczne perkusjonalia, natomiast Edwards sięga po smyczek i nim gra na kontrabasie.

Kiedy w ostatnich minutach saksofon powraca na plan pierwszy, sekcja rytmiczna ogranicza się do nadawania tempa, co z kolei pozwala Parkerowi na zagranie bardzo intensywnej emocjonalnie solówki. W kompozycji numer dwa jeszcze więcej do powiedzenia mają natomiast kontrabasista i perkusista. A nade wszystko pierwszy z nich, który z jednej strony sięga po smyczek (początek utworu), z drugiej zaś – w części środkowej – gra klasyczną solówkę, która polskim wielbicielom jazzu może skojarzyć się jednoznacznie z dokonaniami Helmuta Nadolskiego. Wszystko jest jednak stonowane, bez charakterystycznego dla wielu współczesnych wykonawców – vide Ken Vandermark czy Mats Gustafsson – szaleństwa. Ciekawostką może być fakt, że w finale opowieści artyści zamieniają się rolami: Parker gra rytmicznie (zapętlając motyw saksofonu), natomiast Edwards i Noble pozwalają sobie na improwizatorskie harce (dokładnie na odwrót w porównaniu z kompozycją pierwszą). Żałować można tylko, że „PEN” jest tak krótkie – wszak to zaledwie niespełna czterdzieści minut bardzo stylowego, przywodzącego na myśl lata 60. i 70. XX wieku, free jazzu. ---Sebastian Chosiński, esensja.pl

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1 Here, And Hear 6:35
2 Why Did We Leave It So Long ? 31:36
3 Walthamstow Cheesecutter 15:53
4 What Else Did You Expect ? 15:43

Evan Parker - soprano saxophone (3,4)
John Russell - guitar (3,4)
Ian Brighton - guitar (1,2,4)
Philipp Wachsmann - violin (2,4)
Marcio Mattos - double bass (2,4)
Trevor Taylor - percussion, electronics (2,4)

Ian Brighton, musically dormant for around three decades, had a welcome renaissance a year ago with his album for Confront Recordings, Now And Then. Included on that album was an archival track, "30 Years From Yesterday" recorded in 1986 with Philipp Wachsmann, Marcio Mattos and Trevor Taylor. This quartet was collectively known as String Thing and made a return appearance on this live album recorded at Cafe Oto, London on August 14, 2016. The quartet alone features on "Why Did We Leave It So Long?," the second track of Reunion—Live From Cafe Oto, populated by much arco violin and double bass plus Trevor Taylor interjecting on vibraphone and sampled voice recordings, with sporadic chordal interventions from Brighton. The overall effect evinced on this long track, and at just over thirty minutes the longest on the album, is uncompromisingly hypnotic, the sonic equivalent of a "page-turner" novel.

Brighton himself gives a solo performance on the first track "Here, And Hear" where his characteristic sustenato chords and single notes puncture the silence. The third track, "Walthamstow Cheesecutter" is a duo set featuring Evan Parker on soaring and swooping soprano and John Russell playing with unfettered vigour. The title, incidentally, is a reference to the guitarist's home town in North East London. The final track, "What Else Did You Expect?" is an ensemble piece embracing all six musicians and in effect an improvisational "supergroup." This fifteen minute outing is as riveting as anything heard in improvisational music and whilst not quite equivalent, does bear some resemblance to Tony Oxley's seminal album 4 Compositions For Sextet recorded and released in 1970 by CBS and on which Parker was a notable participant.

Aside from the slightly intrusive inclusion of fifty seconds of audience applause at the conclusion of the quartet number, there is no extraneous material here and importantly the organisation of the tracks makes possible the comparison of the respective styles of Russell on steel-strung acoustic guitar and Brighton on his trusty Gibson ES-175. This is a rare and important piece of musical history that will positively reward repeated plays. ---Roger Farbey, allaboutjazz.com

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