The Squid's Ear Magazine
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Brown, Chris / Ben Davis : Jongleurs (Artifact Recordings)

A captivating set of freely improvised duos bridging experimentation and jazz forms from pianist and electronics artist Chris Brown and cellist-percussionist Ben Davis, recorded at Wide Hive Studios in California, where the duo explore dynamic textures and shifting rhythmic pulses in an organic and deeply communicative exchange that embraces spontaneity and collaborative openness.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Chris Brown-piano, electronics

Ben Davis-cello, percussion


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Label: Artifact Recordings
Catalog ID: Art 3023
Squidco Product Code: 36511

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2025
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Wide Hive Studios, in Berkeley, California, on August 27th, 2024, by Gregory Howe.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Chris Brown, composer, pianist, and electronic musician, creates music for acoustic instruments withinteractive electronics, for computer networks, and for improvising ensembles. Collaboration andimprovisation are consistent themes in his work, along with the invention and performance of newelectronic instruments and software."

"Ben Davis, cellist and composer, concentrates on fusing his classical, jazz and contemporary musicexperiences into a raw vehicle of acoustic expression. He studied cello and composition at the Guildhall,London and started to improvise while playing for the dance company Earthfall Dance, UK. His owngroup Basquiat Strings collaborated with Ellery Eskerlin in the BBC Electric Proms and was nominatedfor the Mercury Music Awards 2007."



"Throughout the middle ages the jongleur remained outside society, had no fixed employment...moved from place to place, was neither elitist nor monopolistic of creativity... Music in daily life was inseparable from lived time." adapted from: - Jacques Attali, "Noise -The Political Economy of Music",1985.

"I think that the prospects of just doing open improvisation... is that you can come from America and play with people from Italy, from Germany, from France, and even if you've never met them, no one's worried about, 'What are we going to play?'. let's do a duo,' 'let's do a trio.' 'let's do a quartet.' Everybody's relaxed and they begin to communicate." - William Parker, Conversations. 2011.

"I always wanted to feel the cats' tempo. Because I believe that tempo was always vague, as opposed to something very steady. I believed that it was a frequency that was curving... Something more organic, not mechanical. Everything has a pulse. We have a heartbeat, everybody's got a heartbeat. But there are other kinds of pulses in organic existence too, not just the heartbeat. Things are pulsing all around you."-Alan Silva in Parker's Conversations, 2011


Artist Biographies

"Chris Brown, composer, pianist, and electronic musician, creates music for acoustic instruments with interactive electronics, for computer networks, and for improvising ensembles. Collaboration and improvisation are consistent themes in his work, along with the invention and performance of new electronic instruments and software. He is a founding member of The HUB, the pioneering network music ensemble, and has composed many interactive works for the percussionist William Winant (Iconicities, New World Records.) His trio with Winant and saxophonist Frank Gratkowski were featured on the 2009 Donaueschingen Musiktage. His most recent music explores microtonal tunings, including 6Primes, for piano in 13-limit just intonation, Arcade for string quartet, and Ragamala Chiaroscuro, for wind trio. Recordings are available on New World, Tzadik, Pogus, Intakt, Rastascan, Ecstatic Peace, Red Toucan, SIRR, Leo, and Artifact labels. He is currently a Professor of Music at Mills College and Co-Director of the Center for Contemporary Music (CCM)."

-Chris Brown Website (http://cbmuse.com/biography)
7/9/2025

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

"Ben Davis is a cellist from the United Kingdom known for his improvisation. His group Basquiat Strings was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2007. He is a member of the F-IRE Collective.

Ben Davis' self-stated aim is to make "alternative string music that people want to listen to". His group, Basquiat Strings, originated as a standard string quartet (two violins, a viola and a cello). Only later did cellist Davis decide to add double bass "to strengthen the rhythmic accompaniment". Basquiat Strings were nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize.

Ben Davis studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later at the Banff School of Fine Arts with Dave Holland.

He has since pursued a varied musical career encompassing classical, world, pop, early music and jazz. He has performed with Django Bates, Hassan Erraji, The Dufay Collective, Evan Parker, Christine Tobin, Steve Buckley, Huw Warren, Jason Yarde, Kylie Minogue, Julian Joseph, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the R. S. C. He has recorded with Claire Martin, Jamiroquai, Ingrid Laubrock, Oriole, Julia Biel, Patricia Kass, D-Influence and the Ben Davis Group, which was featured on BBC Radio 3's Jazz On 3 programme. He recently completed a world tour with the French super-star, Patricia Chass and also formed The Jazz Cello Trio featuring Phil Robson. Ben Davis also teaches jazz cello and has led workshops for kids."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Davis_(cellist)#Albums_as_a_sideman)
7/9/2025

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


Track Listing:



1. Murmur 05:16

2. Burr 04:11

3. Hither 04:35

4. Oort Cloud 08:30

5. Nether 05:46

6. Eyebros 03:12

7. Fzy 06:05

8. Umidata 04:33

9. Peck 02:46

10. Ringslo 05:33

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Jazz
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
West Coast/Pacific US Jazz
Duo Recordings
New in Improvised Music
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Artifact Recordings.


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