The Squid's Ear Magazine



A live recording at the Jazzfest Trondheim, Trondelag Senter for Samtidskunst, in May 2015 from the freely improvising duo of John Butcher and contrabassist Michael Duch, a superb extended concert of incredible reed technique and concept anchored by Duch's flexible bass work.
 

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Personnel:



John Butcher-saxophones

Michael Duch-contrabass


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Label: Confront
Catalog ID: ccs 56
Squidco Product Code: 21925

Format: CDR
Condition: New
Released: 2015
Country: Great Britain
Packaging: Cardboard Sleeve Sealed
Recorded live at the Jazzfest Trondheim, Trondelag Senter for Samtidskunst, on May 9th, 2015, Jonas Krossli.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"I first heard John Butcher in 2001 playing duos with Rhodri Davies and Derek Bailey on the CD Vortices and Angels. I was completely mesmerized, particularly by the two tracks in the end with John and Rhodri playing together. Vortices and Angels is still among my favourite albums. Trinity, AMM with John Butcher, being another one. Needless to say, playing with John at Trondelag Senter for Samtidskunst in my hometown Trondheim in May 2015 during Jazzfest, was a special occasion for me. This is a recording from that concert and apart from omitting some noises in the beginning, it is unedited."-Michael Duch


Artist Biographies

"John Butcher's work ranges through improvisation, his own compositions, multitracked pieces and explorations with feedback and extreme acoustics.Originally a physicist, he left academia in '82, and has since collaborated with hundreds of musicians - Derek Bailey, John Tilbury, John Stevens, The EX, Akio Suzuki, Gerry Hemingway, Polwechsel, Gino Robair, Rhodri Davies, Okkyung Lee, John Edwards, Toshi Nakamura, Paul Lovens, Eddie Prevost, Mark Sanders, Christian Marclay, Otomo Yoshihide, Phil Minton, and Andy Moor - to name a few.

He is well known as a solo performer who attempts to engage with the uniqueness of place. Resonant Spaces is a collection of site-specific performances collected during a tour of unusual locations in Scotland and the Orkney Islands.His first solo album, Thirteen Friendly Numbers, includes compositions for multitracked saxophones, whilst later solo CDs focus on live performance, composition, amplification and saxophone-controlled feedback.

HCMF has twice commissioned him to compose for his own large ensembles. Other commissions include for Elision (Australia), the Rova (USA) & Quasar (Canada) Saxophone Quartets, reconstructed Futurist Intonarumori (USA), "Tarab Cuts" (based on pre-WWII Arabic recordings, and shortlisted for the 2014 British Composer's Award) and "Good Liquor .." for the London Sinfonietta. In 2011 he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists.

Recent groupings include The Apophonics with Robair and Edwards, Anemone with Peter Evans, Plume with Tony Buck & Magda Mayas and a trio with Okkyung Lee & Mark Sanders.Butcher values playing in occasional encounters - ranging from large groups such as Butch Morris' London Skyscraper and the EX Orkestra, to duo concerts with David Toop, Kevin Drumm, Claudia Binder, Paal Nilssen-Love, Thomas Lehn, Fred Frith, Keiji Haino, Ute Kangeisser, Matthew Shipp and Yuji Takahashi."

-John Butcher Website (http://www.johnbutcher.org.uk/Biog.html)
3/24/2025

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


Track Listing:



1. Fjordgata 44:34

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Duo Recordings
John Butcher
Recordings by or featuring Reed & Wind Players
Stringed Instruments
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The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

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