Drooling 🎶

 

Flock

 

Flock is a brand new collaboration between five leading musicians from London's open-minded jazz and experimental scenes: Bex Burch (Vula Viel), Sarathy Korwar, Dan “Danalogue” Leavers (Soccer96, The Comet Is Coming), Al MacSween (Maisha) and Tamar Osborn (Collocutor). 

Gathering together at The Fish Factory in London Summer 2020, the approach was to try something fresh. “I wrote texts as scores for the session and the emphasis was on breathing and listening to each other,” explains Bex Burch. “Improvisation is composition in itself,” continues Burch, “so although the music was freely improvised, we sometimes chose to stay on form and rhythm, repeating melodies and groove. As Dan commented on the day, we ‘murmurated’. The expansive 13-minute piece ‘How Many Are One’ on the album is the perfect example, a collective following and leading as the music developed.” 

Other tracks include the pulsing, searching opener ‘Expand’, the taught soundscape ‘Prepare To Let Go’ and the frenetic, urgent ‘Bold Dream’. At times widescreen and cinematic and at others more tense and claustrophobic, each Flock piece explores its own colors...

credits

released May 20, 2022 

All pieces improvised by Bex Burch, Sarathy Korwar, Danalogue, Al MacSween and Tamar Osborn in response to texts by Bex Burch 

Published by K7 Music Publishing, Metropolis, Bucks Music Group and BMG Music Publishing 

Bex Burch: gyil, vibraphone, bass drum, shakers, bells, gong, snake drum, electronics 
Sarathy Korwar: drums, tabla 
Danalogue: fender rhodes, roland juno-60, upright piano, roland SH-09 bass synth 
Al MacSween: prepared piano, piano, moog sub37 
Tamar Osborn: bass clarinet, flute, soprano sax, EHX deluxe memory boy 

Recorded on 27 August 2020 at The Fish Factory, London 

Produced by Bex Burch 

Recording engineer: Mattia Sartori 
Recording assistant: Simone Gallizio 
Mixed by Bex Burch and Alex Bonney 

Executive producers: Tamar Osborn, Danalogue, Al MacSween, Sarathy Korwar, Quinton Scott 

Mastered for vinyl by Peter Beckmann at Technology Works 
LP cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery 

Artwork is based on an exclusive new illustration piece by Muhammad “Rofi” Fatchurofi.

license

Piano playing for dummies

David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust master tape 🥇

 

A sought-after David Bowie’s tape

 

4 tracks/7 1/2 IPS, made in the USA 🥇

ReVox A77

 

If it’s/was good for Robert Fripp, Chris Squire and Vangelis… it’s good for me 😊

R.I.P. for Vangelis

My Munchen Hi-End Audio Fair 2022

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, I missed the event… well: to be 100% sincere… I missed meeting my old friends 💎 more than gears! 

😇

Sir Martin Carthy

 

Can a picture teach you so much?

When I first saw this picture of young Martin Carthy on back cover of his seminal, early ‘70s Shearwater LP, I was attracted by the plethora of then sought after, nice Neumann U87s’ with swivel-mounts, cleverly placed in pair on Martin 00018 and with windshield on vocal.

When I became able to afford these microphones, I sure remembered this picture because I was able to EXACTLY replicate this mikes-combo and placement with fantastic results.

So: yes! A picture may teach a lot!

John Scofield at Teatro Olimpico

 

An honest, old guitar craftsman…

… sure not an innovator with his very own unique “voice” like Bill Frisell, John Abercrombie, Terje Rypdal… his sound is more in Wes Montgomery’s school (lacking his wizardry) and when he adventures in some basic pedal looping, the results are quite “primitive”, so far away from Bill Frisell’s masterful foot-tapping.

Beside above criticism, the one hour and a half concert was enjoyable and educative: a good musician accompanied by average stage-partners may sound below par.

Give peas a chance ☮️

 

All we need is love ❤️ … peas and love ✅

Italian Super Disc 🥇

 

Fantastic recording, cover artwork and playing 🥇

Bill Frisell Trio at Teatro Olimpico

 

What a concert! 

The first at the beloved, ancient, unique wooden theater in 2+ years, so much more waited for and enjoyed.

Bill Frisell’s playing is so tasteful, measured and unique… with his musicianship and light touch foot-tapping his trusty Line6 DL4 and ElectroHarmonix Freeze effect-boxes, he reached pure bliss.

From Vicenza Jazz Festival Artistic Director, Riccardo Brazzale‘s words:

“ When tonight, shortly after 9 P.M., Bill Frisell attacked "Days of Wine and Roses", more than one, with a hint of hesitation, asked himself: "What does the teacher do, does he play the standards?".  Frisell has always loved the days of wine and roses, from a young age, and now that he's in his seventies (yes, seventy, even if he shows up on stage wearing a striped shirt) he likes to start concerts with those days.  It is with those who also tonight entered a special mood, together with Tony Scherr on double bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums, a mood that he himself and his traveling companions experienced as unique in the magic of the Olimpico.  The right sound, the right volume, absolutely never over the top, the right interplay.  After Henry Mancini's wine and roses came Monk's "Mysterious", then many songs by him, including the beautiful "Waltz for Hal Willner", up to the finale with "What the World Needs Now" by Burt Bacharach.  Outside, leaning against the door of the theater, which remained open to let some air pass, there was a boy with a guitar over his shoulder who listened to music from afar: "I would love to be inside, but so much ... ".  The theater was full but after Bacharach someone was gone and so I said to a mask: "Better call him, if he's still there, let us give him a nice present."  "Come on - I told him - we'll get an encore".  And he was already starting "We Shall Overcome".  The boy with the guitar slung over his shoulder was very excited, his keys fell out, his mask creased.  He no longer understood anything.  Then up, come on, come up, in the peristyle on the right.  Crouched behind the columns, with the guitar over his shoulder, he saw and heard "We Shall Overcome" at the Olimpico, made by Bill Frisell.  Unexpected, the best gift, he didn't know how to thank me.  I was happy to have made him happy, after all with so little.  "We Shall Overcome", we will make it, we will overcome every obstacle, if the music is always with us and we get excited and we want to share the emotions.”

Well: music is healing and I’m glad the encore was enjoyed by this unknown youngster, indeed.

A superb concert, poetic and sweet: has been a privilege being there… kindness will save the world.

Music in The Netherlands

 

Capt. Beefheart’s wisdom

 

'Captain Beefheart's Ten Commandments For Guitarists'. Art by Eliott Le Calvé "ElioHoHo".

✅

Mother’s Day

 

Happy birthday to Keith Jarrett

 

Those were the days…

 

My Telefunken M5A in studio, decades ago…

Wendy Carlos on cassette

 

Sealed!

🥇

… four deads in Ohio…

 

… as per Neil Young’s seminal song… thanking late Nixon’s tin soldiers…

It’s just amazing giving names and faces to the “four deads” after 50+ years.

🌸

Thanks to Terry Riley

 

Terry Riley recently issued disk, recorded in Bologna, Italy

P.S. - the “Stefano” in title is awesome late double-bass player Stefano Scodanibbio who collaborated with Mr. Riley on several occasions.

🥇