The Squid's Ear Magazine


Jones, Ed / Emil Karlsen: From Where Light Falls (FMR)

Eight improvisations named for the month of recording during the challenges of pandemic from British tenor saxophonist Ed Jones and Norwegian drummer/percussionist Emil Karlsen, often reflective work that explores timbral possibilities on each instrument through flowing lines and deceptively active investigations in a variety of empathetic and sublimely ruminative approaches.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Ed Jones-tenor saxophone

Emil Karlsen-drums


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UPC: 642415162876

Label: FMR
Catalog ID: FMR 610
Squidco Product Code: 30338

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: UK
Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel
Recorded at Leeds Conservatoire, UK, in October, November and December, 2020, by Emil Karlsen.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

Award winning saxophonist Ed Jones and young drummer Emil Karlsen comes together for their first outing From Where Light Falls on FMR records. Consisting of 8 distinct improvisations, this record showcases their journey as a duo documented through the lockdown months in the autumn of 2020. With a shared sense of aesthetics, they aim to express themselves freely through the boundaries of their instruments with an explorative mindset towards the sax/drums format. They are both active on the UK/European jazz and improvised music scene collaborating with musicians such as Evan Parker, John Stevens, London Improvisers Orchestra and Philipp Wachsmann to mention some. 'from where light falls' represents a new explorative duo on the improvised music scene.

liner notes:

"The music on From Where Light Falls was born out of a desire to create new music in a time of immense challenges and restrictions for everyone in the world. I first met Emil when he was an undergraduate student on the Jazz Pathway at Leeds Conservatoire. Last autumn of 2020 he joined the Master's Post Graduate course and we discussed the possibility of setting up a play together settling on a regular Monday night meeting with social distancing and other precautionary safety measures in place After a few of these and listening back to some phone recordings it became clear that there was a strong musical connection developing. We then planned a series of sessions to properly record and document these Monday Night meetings. These recordings are from October to December. Every Monday we would finish playing and exit onto the streets of an eerily deserted city night. This music isn't about that specifically, but it was created from that time."-Ed Jones



"This CD, which came out after a forced pandemic hiatus for both musicians, is a slow burner. Track by track, minute after minute, it won me over so to say that it is (now that this year comes to a closure) one of the best duos I've listened to so far. I'm a big fan of reeds-percussion duos and have listened to a lot of them, but that makes is really hard to feel that there's something new its time. This is one of those times.

Ed Jones plays tenor sax while Emil Karlsen is on percussion and drums. Their task is one the difficult ones. The sax-drums duo in free jazz and improvised music had, by now, built a strong tradition of masterpieces. Thankfully for them (and for us, the listeners) they choose to present their truth without follow a certain path or tradition. I guess the pandemic dystopia that has hit so hard all musicians played an important role on this. Talking to any musician right now you get the feeling that they need to play, that playing for them has the urgency that never had before. From Where The Light Falls seems like it was an important procedure for both artists.

I must say here that FMR by being such a prolific label has had some misses here and there. But the label's recent years output is of the highest standard, making it one of the best in improvised music right now.

A duo by definition is a laconic statement when it comes to music. Still it is a totally different situation than playing solo. For me, as a listener, the key to a successful duo is not two strong individual voices but the interaction between the artists, the way they disavow their egos for the collective way of thinking and playing. Both the musicians here think and play in this manner.

The tenor sax can be intimidating and "heavy" many times. Pardon my minimum technical knowledge but as a listener I feel the burden of its jazz tradition plus that it can saturate a recording if the sax player feels like it. Ed Jones seems like the ideal partner. His playing is subtle, relaxed but focused on what Karlsen is doing. And how to respond. He improvises in short phrases blending melody in his improvisations. Karlsen has this ability of being the leader while he is not. Even though I'm familiar with his work, I am too impressed by his playing. The way he utilizes his drums, makes his percussion work so vital for this recording. He is definitely not the one who just keeps the tempo.

All eight tracks of the CD refer to a month, probably reference to the time spent during the pandemic. It seems that they took advantage of the time they had in isolation and this CD proves it."-Fotis Nikolakopoulos, The Free Jazz Collective


Get additional information at The Free Jazz Collective

Artist Biographies

"An award winning Uk jazz saxophonist/composer who has been based in London for over 25 years. He works in the UK and internationally with a wide range of his own projects and collaborations.

His experience as a sideman reflects his diverse musical interests: He has worked with Free jazz pioneers John Stevens, Evan Parker. US Jazz Legends Horace Silver, George Benson, Dianne Reeves, Dr Lonnie Smith, Charles Earland, and Clifford Jarvis. Leading Uk Jazz Musicians such as Dick Heckstall-Smith, District Six, Jason Rebello, Orphy Robinson, Claire Martin, Don Weller, Byron Wallen, Tim Richard's Great Spirit, Damon Brown, Monk Liberation Front, Jonathan Gee, Larry Bartley's Justus. As a session musician he has performed and recorded with crossover projects such as Incognito, Us3, Jamie Cullum , Terry Callier, and Nostalgia 77, through to R/B legends such as D'Angelo, Bootsy Collins, Chaka Khan Tina Turner, Carlene Anderson, Noel Mccoy and Omar.

He has received numerous composition commissions including:

Arts Council Composition Grant:The Pipers Tales 1993

BBC Jazz on 3 and Bath Festival to write and perform with a 10 piece Uk/Scandinavian electro/acoustic ensemble Burn,(co-led with Finnish Trumpeter Mika Myllari)(2000)

Southern Arts:"Triptych (3 accidents)" (2004) Woodwinds/Piano/Beats/Electronics inspired by the work of the English painter Francis Bacon.

British Council to compose and perform 1000 Plateaus based on the writings of Gilles Deleuze as part of Expo 2005 in Japan.

Most recently in 2014 a commission from London Jazz Festival in collaboration with The Guildhall School Of Music Jazz Orchestra.

In 2016 Leeds College Of Music Jazz Orchestra Commissioned a new suite of compositions entitled "Pathways"

He formed his first group "Ed Jones Quartet" in 1987. They were the first band to play at the original Jazz Cafe London.He became a regular performer on the emerging Acid Jazz scene at clubs such as The Wag and Dingwalls, and was signed by Giles Peterson recording his first album "The Homecoming" (Acid Jazz, 1989).

During the 1990's he formed new groups, toured the Uk and Europe and recorded a further 3 critically acclaimed solo albums"Pipers Tales" (ASC, 1995).''Out Here" (ASC, 1997)."Seven Moments" (ASC 2002).His 5th album "A view from the..." featuring the ed/ge project was released in spring 2004. This was a Hip/Hop/Beats/ Big Band collaboration with US3 programmer/producer Geoff Wilkinson.

In 2005 he formed Killer Shrimp (co-led) with Trumpeter Damon Brown. The group recorded the highly acclaimed Sincerely Whatever (33 records) in 2006 mixing dance genres and electronica with acoustic jazz. The cd was top of many critics best of list that year and was nominated for Jazz cd of the year 2007 parliamentary jazz awards. The group were awarded Best Jazz Ensemble 2007 at the same awards, and in 2010 released their follow up album Whatever Sincerely(Tales from the Baltic Wharf).

In 2011 he formed a new acoustic contemporary jazz quartet which is currently touring and releasing their first recording "For Your Ears Only" in Autumn 2017. The Quartet features some of the Uk's finest creative jazz musicians.

Pianist Ross Stanley is just about everyones first call these days, leading to work recently with US sax giant Seamus Blake.

Bassist Riaan Vosloo leads his acclaimed 12's Trio,and collaborates with the likes of Nostalgia 77,Keith Tippett,and Richard Fairhurst.

Drummer Tim Gilles won the Daily Telegraph Young Composer of the Year Award in 1992 at the age of 12 and has gone on to work with Stan Sulzmann, Iain Ballamy, Julian Arguelles,and Tom Arthurs as well co-leading his award winning group Fraud with saxophonist James Alsop

In 2016 he formed the Free Improvisation Trio Bad Ash with Mark Sanders (Drums) and Mark Lewandowski (Double Bass), the group toured the Uk with support from The Arts Council Of England with collaborations along the way with Matthew Bourne, Paul Dunmall, and Corey Mwamba,Alex Bonney and Nick Malcom.

He also works internationally with Scandinavian Trio Stekpana, Finnish trumpeter and composer Mika Myllari and Tokyo-London Jazz connection with Yutaka Shina (piano).

Londonjazznews.com recently included two of his 2016 concerts in their best of year performances.

A Committed Educator, Ed is currently a Principal Lecturer on the Undergraduate and Post Graduate Jazz and Popular Music Courses at Leeds College Of Music and Saxophone/Ensemble tutor for The Yamaha Jazz Summer School at Falmouth University."

-Ed Jones Website (https://www.edjonesjazz.co.uk/about)
3/13/2024

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

"Emil Karlsen is a Norwegian improvising drummer currently based in the UK. Described as a "significant addition to the UK free jazz scene" and an "exceptional improv drummer", he's establishing himself on the improvised music circuit working the span from free improvisation to free jazz. Occupied with the exploring timbral possibilities of the drum kit, he performs with Philipp Wachsmann, Matthew Bourne, Phil Durrant, Maggie Nicols, Ed Jones, and the London Improvisers Orchestra to mention some."

-Emil Karlsen Website (https://emilkarlsen.com/)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Oktober 6:29

2. November Pt. 1 9:01

3. November Pt. 2 6:02

4. November Pt. 3 5:16

5. December Pt. 1 8:48

6. December Pt. 2 12:03

7. December Pt. 3 9:18

8. December Pt. 4 5:49

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Duo Recordings
Saxophone & Drummer / Percussionist Duos

Search for other titles on the label:
FMR.


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