Keith Tippett and Julie Tippetts

[Alexander Hawkins]

One day I will visit The Vortex

One day when John Edwards, Barry Guy or Paul Rogers are playing

I've never seen the former, once for Guy and three times for Rogers

For my ears, the three greatest free improvising bassists alive

Then Cafe Oto to hear Alan Wilkinson, Simon H Fell and Paul Hession

Or Steve Noble

One day I see a few more of the great improvisers of our time live and in person

Barry and Paul are pretty infrequent visitors to these shores unfortunately...but John is very much a regular. By the way - I concur - John in an absolute monster. A real master.

[Steve Reynolds]

One day I will visit The Vortex

One day when John Edwards, Barry Guy or Paul Rogers are playing

I've never seen the former, once for Guy and three times for Rogers

For my ears, the three greatest free improvising bassists alive

Then Cafe Oto to hear Alan Wilkinson, Simon H Fell and Paul Hession

Or Steve Noble

One day I see a few more of the great improvisers of our time live and in person

Barry and Paul are pretty infrequent visitors to these shores unfortunately...but John is very much a regular. By the way - I concur - John in an absolute monster. A real master.

Well they almost never come to these shores - Paul was here in 2006 with Dunmall and Levin while Barry was last here maybe in 2000.

[Alexander Hawkins]

Wow - that's too long! So did the tour as Mujician minus Keith?

[Steve Reynolds]

Wow - that's too long! So did the tour as Mujician minus Keith?

Yes - and I saw them with Ellery Eskelin and Ray Anderson added to the trio

Still nothing touches a 2001 or 2002 trio with Dunmall, Rogers and Kevin Norton at the Knit

Among the greatest tenor saxophone and bass performances I've ever witnessed. Plus Paul had his custom bass with him. Plus Dunmall had the bagpipes!!!

The show reached otherworldly heights for me.

Almost as great as Mat Maneri, Craig Taborn and Ches Smith last week!!

[Alexander Hawkins]

Oh wow - Paul on bagpipes is really magical. He's doing a duo in London this evening with Tony Bianco - a 'Trane tribute - that I'd have loved to get to...Paul's one of the few guys around I'm interested in hearing do that sort of thing!

[A Lark Ascending]

Excellent night 2 of the Vortex residency. A thrilling free trio 50 minutes - lots of variety from full on to moments of lyricism. A tremendous young bassist called Tom Mccredie who can't have been much more than 20 yet spoke the language with flair. Keith doesn't seem to have recorded in trio format that much. Would love to see a record.

Second set was totally different - one of the most arranged pieces I've heard him do. Clear themes and very tight part writing but with lots of solo space with very little free playing. A number of the dances had a distinct Irish feel - he told us he has an Irish side to his family. Even ended with a short arrangement of The Last Rose of Summer. The young band were outstanding - perfect intonation and good soloists. Yet another case of coming across astonishing musicians who I've never heard of before. Keith was as gracious as ever paying them tribute on two occasions.

Hopefully Ogun are on the case.

Edited August 17, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[mjazzg]

Glad to hear it's been good so far. I'm hoping to be there tonight so let's hope the run of form continues

[A Lark Ascending]

Be nice to say hello if you get there. Look out for a bewildered country mouse with grey hair, glasses and a blue rucksack.

[mjazzg]

Be nice to say hello if you get there. Look out for a bewildered country mouse with grey hair, glasses and a blue rucksack.

Similarly but without the rucksack and country....

Have the previous night's been very busy?

[A Lark Ascending]

Seemed full last night - I wasn't there on the first.

[A Lark Ascending]

Hard not to just gush about last night.

Piano, voice/miniature percussion, violin, cello, viola. 2 completely improvised sets. The completely free has always sat at the edge of my listening - music that interests, makes me curious, often puzzles. But this evening I was as engaged as with anything I've ever heard - possibly more so because you just did not know where the music was going next.

Music mainly of great delicacy but with passages of thrilling power. I don't know how musicians negotiate music like this - decide when to play, when to hold back - but tonight they did it in a masterful way. The string players were young but sounded like they had playing like this for years.

I often read about musicians in music like this 'listening' to each other and that was so clear here. An egoless performance that will remain long in my memory.

It also reminded me how important it is to see music like this live - the visual clues as each musician enters (or prepares to enter) adds so much to the pleasure; relying on just your ears is much harder.

Great to at last get to the Vortex - completely functional as a building with virtually no compromises to decor! But what a wonderful policy towards promoting the music it does.

Sorry - I gushed, but this one was special.

Nice to meet Mark (mjazzg) however briefly and have a short conversation. My transport hunch worked out as planned, Mark!

Edited August 18, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[mjazzg]

Not a lot to add to Bev's review that sums up the evening's music.

As someone who is maybe more comfortable with improv this was top drawer example of, as Bev says, a listening performance. Initially I thought the string players a touch tentative with their improvising seemingly deferring to Keith and Julie (who wouldn't) but they really came into their own over the evening with some stunning interventions. It was my first live experience of Julie Tippetts - astonishing voice and unsurprisingly her musical relationship with Keith Tippett was telepathic. An unexpected highlight for me was the vocal contributions of the cello player (sorry their website doesn't seem to give names) who on a number of occasions improvised vocal duets with Julie Tippets.

Stunning evening's music

Great to spot 'the blue rucksack' and chat with Bev - glad the transport plans worked!

[A Lark Ascending]

Laura Moody - seems an adventurous soul doing things like playing Stockhausen in helicopters!

There's a website here:

www.lauramoodymusic.com

[A Lark Ascending]

Jazz on 3 on Monday, 1st June:

British pianist and composer Keith Tippett performs his piece The Nine Dances Of Patrick O'Gonogon in session with his octet, also featuring guest vocalist Julie Tippetts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05wytjc

Heard this piece a couple of years back at his Vortex residency. Maybe a CD is not far off?

I think Alex Hawkins has a session shortly after that.

[jazzscriveyn]

...

I think Alex Hawkins has a session shortly after that.

On 16th June with the Louis Moholo² 4tet - I'm planning to be there.

Edited May 26, 2015 by jazzscriveyn

[A Lark Ascending]

A new one. Strange that it took the King Crimson website to find out about it. 

Not exactly easy to order - on the label website postage pushes the price up; its on Amazon UK but out of stock or costing £40!

Patience.  

[Swinger]

I'm also interested in that Mujician Solo IV. Looking forward to have it one day.

[A Lark Ascending]

On 1/28/2016 at 6:11 AM, Swinger said:

I'm also interested in that Mujician Solo IV. Looking forward to have it one day.

Readily available now. Lovely performance and superbly recorded.

*********************************

Good to see this Kickstarter campaign to release Keith's most recent larger scale piece (already recorded)  - "Keith Tippett Octet - The Nine Dances Of Patrick O'Gonogon";

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1707230936/keith-tippett-octet-the-nine-dances-of-patrick-ogo?ref=hero_thanks

I saw a performance of this at the Vortex in London a few years back (2013, I see glancing above) - hope the campaign succeeds. It was a very engaging piece in his more composed style. 

Still needs just over £500 to reach its target. Tell your friends!  

Edited April 3, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

On 4/3/2016 at 4:39 PM, A Lark Ascending said:

Good to see this Kickstarter campaign to release Keith's most recent larger scale piece (already recorded)  - "Keith Tippett Octet - The Nine Dances Of Patrick O'Gonogon";

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1707230936/keith-tippett-octet-the-nine-dances-of-patrick-ogo?ref=hero_thanks

I saw a performance of this at the Vortex in London a few years back (2013, I see glancing above) - hope the campaign succeeds. It was a very engaging piece in his more composed style. 

Still needs just over £500 to reach its target. Tell your friends!  

Target hit but subscriptions still being taken. This release will happen. 

 

[RogerF]

The Keith Tippett Octet - The Nine Dances Of Patrick O'Gonogon - This is arguably Keith Tippett's most accessible and consistently excellent recording for many years. It benefits from several instantly and hauntingly memorable tunes, universally superb pefromances all round and the brief penultimate track is adorned by Julie Tippett's irresistible vocals. Very highly recommended and probably gets my vote for new album of the year. You may think the above somewhat hyperbolic, but I assure you it ain't.

[A Lark Ascending]

Immediately reminded me in places of 'You are here...I am there'. 

[RogerF]

8 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Immediately reminded me in places of 'You are here...I am there'. 

Exactly! cf "The Dance Of The Walk With The Sun On His Back". 

[mjazzg]

New Couple In Spirit album in the works which can only be a good thing

https://discus-music.co.uk/catalogue-mobile/dis90-241-detail