The Squid's Ear Magazine


Brice, Olie Quartet (Brice / Musson / Hawkins / Glaser): All It Was (West Hill Records)

Rooted in personal loss and global sorrow, this powerful quartet album from bassist Olie Brice stands apart from many of his collective projects by featuring his own compositions — deeply emotional pieces shaped by grief, love, and resilience — dedicated to mentors, loved ones, and poetic voices and performed with lyrical intensity and free jazz spirit by Brice, Musson, Hawkins, and Glaser.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Olie Brice-double bass

Rachel Musson-tenor saxophone

Alexander Hawkins-piano

Will Glaser-drums


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Label: West Hill Records
Catalog ID: WHR005
Squidco Product Code: 36469

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2025
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at the Fish Factory, in London, UK, on January 10th, 2024, by Ben Lamdin.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"This music was written in a period of intense emotions, as the grief and pain of losing my father tangled and fused with horror and despair at the genocide in Palestine - but life is complicated, and the music also comes from joy and love.

"Listening intently to raptors" is dedicated to the great bassist John Lindberg, and the title comes from an email correspondence we had during covid lockdown.

"After a break" appeared fully formed after quite a long period of composer's block, while listening to Steve Lacy.

"Morning mourning" - like the whole album - is about the memory of my father and the process of grief.

"Happy song for Joni" is for my beloved goddaughter.

"A rush of memory was all it was" is dedicated to Cecil Taylor and Jimmy Lyons, and the title is borrowed from Nathaniel Mackey.

"And we dance on the firm earth" is the only tune on the album without a specific dedicatee, the title comes from a Kamau Braithwaite poem."-West Hill Records


Artist Biographies

"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/)
9/3/2025

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

"Rachel Musson is a saxophonist, improviser and composer living in London, UK. She is involved with a variety of improvisation projects, including a trio with Hannah Marshall and Julie Kjaer, a duo with vibraphonist Corey Mwamba, and a trio with Mark Sanders and John Edwards. She has released two albums under her own name, one featuring Liam Noble and Mark Sanders (Tatterdemalion, Babel Records), and one featuring her ensemble Skein (Flight Line, F-ire Recorded Music). She also plays with the London Improvisers Orchestra and Alex Ward's Quintet and Sextet, and has performed with a diverse range of musicians on the fluid European improvising scene, including Alcyona Mick, Han Bennink, Liam Noble, Gail Brand, Eddie Prevost, Olie Brice, Federico Ughi, Mary Halvorson, John Russell, Adam Linson, Sebastian Rochford, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Pat Thomas, among many others."

-Rachel Musson Website (https://rachelmusson.com/)
9/3/2025

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

"Alexander Hawkins is a composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader who is 'unlike anything else in modern creative music' (Ni Kantu) and whose recent work has reached a 'dazzling new apex' (Downbeat). A largely self-taught improviser, he works in a vast array of creative contexts. His own highly distinctive soundworld is forged through the search to reconcile both his love of free improvisation and profound fascination with composition and structure. In 2012, he was chosen as a member of the first edition of the London Symphony Orchestra's 'Soundhub' scheme for young composers. He also received a major BBC commission in late 2012 for a fifty minute composition: One Tree Found was first performed and broadcast in March 2013, and was subsequently performed and broadcast for the WDR in Cologne (2014). He has also twice been commissioned by the London Jazz Festival (once as composer, once as an arranger), and by the Cheltenham Jazz Festival (2016).

An in-demand sideman, Hawkins continues to be heard live and on record with vast array of contemporary leaders of all generations, including the likes of Evan Parker, John Surman, Joe McPhee, Mulatu Astatke, Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Braxton, Marshall Allen, Rob Mazurek, Taylor Ho Bynum, and Harris Eisenstadt, amongst many others. He has also been noted in recent years for his performances in the bands of legendary South African drummer, Louis Moholo-Moholo. Concert appearances have taken him to club, concert and festival stages worldwide."

-Alexander Hawkins Website (http://www.alexanderhawkinsmusic.com/biographyimages.html)
9/3/2025

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

"Will Glaser is a Nottingham born Drummer and Percussionist. An emerging talent on the British Jazz scene Will has had the pleasure of working with British Jazz luminaries such as Dame Cleo Lane, The London Jazz Orchestra, Ian Shaw and Julian Joseph.

He is a member of Tom Mcreddie's Inkine, The Ben Cox Band and leads his own trio, 40 Ton Parachute, with saxophonist Sam Rapley and guitarist Nick Costly-White. With a broad range of influences Will can be seen performing regularly in various contexts throughout the capital."

-Ben Cox Band (http://www.bencoxband.com/members/will/)
9/3/2025

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


Track Listing:



1. Listening Intently to Raptors 7:23

2. After A Break 8:28

3. Morning Mourning (for Tosh Brice) 8:09

4. Happy Song for Joni 3:27

5. A Rush of Memory Was All it Was 10:42

6. And We Dance on the Firm Earth 6:23

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Jazz & Improvisation Based on Compositions
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Quartet Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

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West Hill Records.


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