The Squid's Ear Magazine


Russell, John / Ray Russell / Henry Kaiser / Olle Brice: The Dukes of Bedford (Balance Point Acoustics)

Exploring the lineage of the Dukes of Bedford, the Russell lineage in Bedford, England, in groupings of acoustic & electric guitarists John Russell, Ray Russell, and Henry Kaiser along with double bassist Ollie Brice, from duos to quartets, eight Duke "Russells" from 1680 to 2003 are explored through intricate and joyfully creative and technically amazing string improvisations.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



John Russell-acoustic guitar, electric guitar

Ray Russell-electric guitar, acoustic guitars

Henry Kaiser-electric guitar, acoustic guitars

Olie Brice-double bass


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Label: Balance Point Acoustics
Catalog ID: BPALTD 909
Squidco Product Code: 29349

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2020
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Sleeve Sealed
Recorded at Westpoint Studios, in London, UK, on March 11th, 2020, by Shane Shanahan.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"To be invited to a top studio by a fellow lover of all things guitar and when that person is Henry Kaiser (a friend for many years who I don't get to see that often) then that is already pretty good in my book. Add to that fact a chance to meet and play with a guitarist of the stature and ability of Ray Russell and now this is really turning into something special. Amazingly Olie Brice and I haven't played together that often either. Another joy in the mix! We played straight through. Live. No multitrack. No pre strategies. Solely improvising for the love of it ably supported by Ed Pettersen and Shane Shannahan in the studio and Brandy Gale's art direction. It really don't mean a thang if it ain't got a twang! Spread the love!"-John Russell


Artist Biographies

"John Russell got his first guitar in 1965 while living in Kent and began to play in and around London from 1971 onwards. An early involvement with the emerging free improvisation scene (from 1972) followed, seeing him play in such places as The Little Theatre Club, Ronnie Scott's, The Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Musicians' Co-Op and the London Musicians' Collective. From 1974 his work extended into teaching, broadcasts (radio and television) and touring in the United Kingdom and, ever extensively, in other countries around the world . He has played with many of the world's leading improvisers and his work can be heard on over 50 CDs and albums. In 1981, he founded QUAQUA, a large bank of improvisers put together in different combinations for specific projects and, in 1991, he started MOPOMOSO which has become the UK's longest running concert series featuring mainly improvised music."

-John Russell Website (http://www.john-russell.co.uk/biography/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Raymond 'Ray' Russell (born 4 April 1947) is an English session musician who is primarily a guitarist. He is also renowned as a record producer and composer.

In 1973 he was a member of the band Mouse, which released a progressive rock album entitled Lady Killer for the Sovereign record label. His TV compositions have included A Touch of Frost, Bergerac, Plain Jane, A Bit of a Do, Rich Tea and Sympathy, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Dangerfield and Grafters, as well as many other British and American television programmes. He also played in the DVD Simon Phillips Returns with Simon Phillips and Anthony Jackson.

With colleagues Mo Foster and Ralph Salmins, Russell gives musical seminars at UK educational establishments.

In 2008 Russell, drummer Ralph Salmins, and sound engineer Rik Walton created Made Up Music, a music library that distributes music on its web site and by sending portable hard drives to music editors. The company sells music by Russell, Mo Foster, Steve Donnelly, and Simon Eyre.

In March 2020 Russell featured on an episode of the BBC Television programme Antiques Roadshow, in which his fretless six-string electric guitar, made by Bartell and gifted to him by George Harrison, having originally belonged to John Lennon, was valued at £300,000-£400,000."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Russell_(musician))
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Henry Kaiser (born September 19, 1952) is an American guitarist and composer, known as an idiosyncratic soloist, a sideman, an ethnomusicologist, and a film score composer. Recording and performing prolifically in many styles of music, Kaiser is a fixture on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. He is considered a member of the "second generation" of American free improvisers. He is married to Canadian artist Brandy Gale.

In 1977, Kaiser founded Metalanguage Records with Larry Ochs (Rova Saxophone Quartet) and Greg Goodman. In 1979 he recorded With Friends Like These with Fred Frith, a collaboration that lasted for over 20 years. In 1983 they recorded Who Needs Enemies, and in 1987 the compilation album With Enemies Like These, Who Needs Friends? They joined with fellow experimental musicians John French, and English folk-rocker Richard Thompson to form French Frith Kaiser Thompson for two eclectic albums, Live, Love, Larf & Loaf (1987) and Invisible Means (1990). In 1999 Frith and Kaiser released Friends and Enemies, a compilation of their two Metalanguage albums along with additional material from 1984 and 1999.

In 1991, Kaiser went to Madagascar with guitarist David Lindley. They recorded roots music with Malagasy musicians and discovered music that, he says, "changed us radically and permanently". Three volumes of this music were released by Shanachie under the title A World Out of Time. In 1994 he made a similar trip to Norway, again with Lindley, recording music that was released as Sweet Sunny North (2 volumes, 1994 and 1996).

Since 1998, Kaiser has been collaborating with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith in the "Yo Miles!" project, releasing a series of tributes to Miles Davis's 1970s electric music. This shifting aggregation has included musicians from the worlds of rock (guitarists Nels Cline, Mike Keneally and Chris Muir, drummer Steve Smith), jazz (saxophonists Greg Osby and John Tchicai), avant-garde (keyboardist John Medeski, guitarist Elliott Sharp), and Indian classical music (tabla player Zakir Hussain).

Kaiser has appeared on more than 250 albums and scored dozens of TV shows and films, including Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World (2007). He was given a Grammy Award for his work on the Beautiful Dreamer tribute to Stephen Foster.

In 2001, Kaiser spent two and a half months in Antarctica on a National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Program grant. He has subsequently returned for nine more visits to work as a research diver. His underwater camera work was featured in two Herzog films, The Wild Blue Yonder (2005) and Encounters at the End of the World (2007), which he also produced, and for which he and Lindley composed the score. Kaiser served as music producer for Herzog's Grizzly Man (2005). He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work as a producer on Encounters at the End of the World."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kaiser_(musician))
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"I'm a jazz and improv double bassist, based in Hastings, SE England.

I lead and compose for The Olie Brice Quintet, which released our debut album 'Immune to Clockwork' in 2014. The quintet was named as one of the 'new bands 2014' in the El Intruso Critics Poll, and was described by Richard Williams as "one of the most interesting and satisfying bands on the current UK scene". The current line-up of the quintet features George Crowley on tenor, Alex Bonney on cornet, Mike Fletcher on C-melody sax and Jeff Williams on drums. Our 2nd album, 'Day After Day' will be released in Jue 2017 on the Babel label.

I'm also involved in several collaborative projects, including;

a Trio with Tobias Delius - tenor sax, clarinet and Mark Sanders - drums

duos with Achim Kaufmann - piano, Rachel Musson - tenor sax and Tom Challenger - tenor sax

BABs (James Allsopp - bass clarinet, Alex Bonney - laptop)

and am in a few people's bands, including:

Mike Fletcher Trio (Mike Fletcher - C melody sax, Jeff Williams - drums)

Dee Byrne's Entopri (Dee Byrne - alto sax, Andre Canniere - trumpet, Rebecca Nash - piano & Matt Fisher - drums)

Alex Ward Quintet (Alex Ward - clarinet, guitar, Rachel Musson - tenor sax, Tom Jackson - bass clarinet, Hannah Marshall - cello)

Loz Speyer's Inner Space Music (Loz Speyer - trumpet, Chris Biscoe - alto sax, alto clarinet, Rachel Musson - tenor & soprano, Gary Willcox - drums)

Alex Bonney Quartet (Alex Bonney - trumpet, James Allsopp - reeds, Jeff Williams - drums)

Other musicians I've appeared with include Tony Malaby, Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, Ingrid Laubrock, Ken Vandermark, Steve Swell and many others..."

-Olie Brice Website (https://oliebrice.com/about/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke Of Bedford (1680-1711) 7:14

2. Francis Russell, 5th Duke Of Bedford (1765-1802) 6:29

3. George Plantagenet, 1st Duke Of Bedford (1477-1479) 6:41

4. Andrew Ian Henry Russell, 15th Duke Of Bedford (1962- ) 13:43

5. John Of Lancaster, 1st Duke Of Bedford (1389-1435) 4:30

6. Herbrand Arthur Russell, 11th Duke Of Bedford (1858-1940) 6:38

7. Henry Robin Ian Russell, 14th Duke Of Bedford (1940-2003) 3:00

8. John Russell, 4th Duke Of Bedford (1710-1771) 9:09

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
West Coast/Pacific US Jazz
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Quartet Recordings
Guitarists, &c.
Stringed Instruments

Search for other titles on the label:
Balance Point Acoustics.


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The Squid's Ear Magazine

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