The Squid's Ear Magazine


Roberts, Cath / Olie Brice: Conduits (Relative Pitch)

Recording in real-time during the pandemic, UK improvisers, baritone saxophonist Cath Roberts (Favourite Animals, Madwort Sax Quartet) and double bassist Olie Brice (Olie Brice Quintet, Tobias Delius, &c) recorded these extended improvisations simulateously at their homes, beautifully paced and intently listening as they keep the conversation going despite a world of restrictions.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Cath Roberts-baritone saxophone

Olie Brice-double bass


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UPC: 5904224870454

Label: Relative Pitch
Catalog ID: RPR1135
Squidco Product Code: 32102

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2022
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded simultaneously in Hastings and London, UK, on January 28th, 2021.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"In some ways one could liken Conduits to a telephone call between two friends, given that it was recorded simultaneously over the internet at the homes of baritone saxophonist Cath Roberts and bassist Olie Brice who live some 60 miles apart in England. But, while the vibe is conversational, this being an instrumental exchange, it is as if both talk at once, pursue different subjects, and even go off at complete tangents. And it is all the better that they do. Even though as a spoken dialogue it would be dysfunctional, when such interaction is done well, as here, there is a particular joy in the constantly modulating tension between response and independence.

Yet, though both lead and write original charts for their own bands-Roberts heading up Sloth Racket and Brice his own quintet-on this occasion they air their chops as improvisers on three pieces which total just a shade under half an hour. Given his role as a key component of freewheeling trios with the likes of reed players Tobias Delius, Mikolaj Trzaska and Rachel Musson or trumpeter Luis Vicente, it is no surprise that Brice so fully exploits the textures available to him, whether in purposeful pizzicato or slashing bow work. Roberts is similarly expansive, veering between the registers, from a gruff but fluid bottom end to vocalized multiphonic shrieks.

Maybe that compositional ear manifests in the weight given to repeated motifs, such as Brice's reiterated melodic bounce which starts "Pipework," or Roberts' insistently lyric repartee which she alternates with harsh blurts in the same piece. While the rejoinders may defy expectations, they are rarely unrelated, often matching in terms of pacing, dynamics or language. However it is the points where they converge, such as the welter of bent pitches which bloom part way through "Peering," which prove some of the sweetest. The final "Buoyancy Chamber" recalls a spiritual, something akin to "Old Man River," in its initial gravity, before spinning off into yet more irreverent but ultimately rewarding discussion.

Perhaps the only hint of the geographic circumstance is the absence of turn-on-a-penny conclusions, in favor of gentler endings; but that in no way diminishes the potency of the duet. More would be welcome, and it would be fascinating to hear how being in the same space might affect the already heady crossfire."-John Sharpe, All About Jazz



This album has been reviewed on our magazine:

The Squid
The Squid's Ear!

Get additional information at All About Jazz

Artist Biographies

"Cath Roberts' work explores free improvisation, composition and the music at their meeting point. Her primary outlet as a composer and improviser on baritone saxophone is the quintet Sloth Racket, which has toured widely and released several albums. She leads ten piece improvising ensemble Favourite Animals, and has a long-standing duo with guitarist Anton Hunter, Ripsaw Catfish. As bandmate, Cath is a member of Madwort Sax Quartet, Vole, Article XI and Alex Ward's Item 10 amongst other groups. She co-runs LUME with Dee Byrne, producing concerts, tours and festivals since 2013 and releasing music on an offshoot label, Luminous. Cath is also part of the group of musicians who run BRÅK, an improvised music series taking place in Brockley, South East London."

-Cath Roberts Website (http://cathrobertsmusic.co.uk/biog/)
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. Pipework 9:55

2. Peering 11:15

8. Buoyancy Chamber 8:37

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Duo Recordings
New in Improvised Music

Search for other titles on the label:
Relative Pitch.


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