Butcher/Davies/Davis/Lash/Lazaridou-Chatzigoga

Pre-Holiday season in 2017 London must have been particularly busy and productive for saxophonist John Butcher. At least that’s what these albums suggest. Recorded within two weeks of one another in November-December, these remarkable instances of free improvisation find the veteran saxophonist, who has played with many creative musicians. part of two quintet configurations which otherwise have no players in common. More than that, contradictory variants of free music result with Stovelit Lines mostly tough and unyielding and Nodosus more restrained and contemplative.

It may appear that the particular dynamics of Stovelit Lines could be attributed to the presence of a percussionist; Nodosus has none. But Terry Day who fills the drum role is a sensitive player whose commitment to non-hierarchical sounds dates back to the 1960s. Another possibility is that ex-Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore, is part of the ensemble. But luckily he avoids Rock star grandstanding for cohesive textural building with the others who also include seasoned free improvisers pianist Steve Beresford and bassist John Edwards.

During Nodosus’ two slippery but concentrated improvisations meanwhile, the other quintet takes full advantage of space but avoids excessive smoothness. And this is from a line-up that could lead to fragility – three string players: violinist Angharad Davies, bassist Dominic Lash and zither specialist Dimitra Lazaridou-Chatzigoga – as well as trumpeter Matt Davis.

Stovelit Lines’ three parts are in constant motion from the beginning as unbroken reed smears intersect with percussion shakes, plush toy squeezes, abrasive strums across guitar strings and arco string stretches. Attaining a tsunami of connected doits and portamento effects, Butcher widens the exposition over a cushion of electrified tremolo whooshes, metallic percussion and trebly twanging. A duet of descending reed split tones and ascending power chords marks another pivot, as Beresford’s hard keyboard clicks and Day’s ping-ponging rattles produce a contrapuntal challenge to the saxophone-guitar concentration, that with further distinctive string rubs from the double bassist condenses the final sequence from frenetic multiphonics to singular ones. “Part 2” and “Part 3” express similar met challenges, and on the second part the pianist adds an unexpected melodic motif, That is until Butcher asserts himself with slurred tongue stops and responsive flutter tonguing and Moore comes forward with raga-like drones that echo past the track’s ending, These vibrations seem to extend into “Part3”, with strained guitar flanges and high-pitched reed pumps again contrasting and concentrating timbres with one another. Beresford’s sudden turn from occasional piano patterns to outright Jerry Lee Lewis-like keyboard pounding and equivalent percussion crashes ushers in a sequence of near opaque tone shading from all, only to climax as Butcher’s coarsening overblowing and Moore’s metallic twanging reassert the session’s initial percussive toughness,

Spiccato and sul tasto arco rubs are more prominent during Nodosus coupled with zither-projected drones until the three lines coalesce into a Morton Feldman-like thin exposition, with Butcher and Davis fragmenting it slightly with brief tremolo reed squeaks and half-valve peeps. Surprisingly, it’s the string outflow which toughens the exposition to bandsaw-sharp stings, stops and sul ponticello echoes that are inflated in the second part to spatial reflections, with Lash’s thickened vibrations and dissected glissandi from Davies. The ending layers tongue stops on top of pizzicato string picks with a concentrated drone left hanging in the air. Although slightly longer, “Nodosus Part 2” is also livelier. It’s driven by multiple plucks and strokes from Davies that turn to spiccato slides up the scale with portamento efforts from Davis and irregular reed whistles. At mid-point, the saxophone’s and trumpet’s forced air respiration and a concentrated string drone is further intensified by col legno strokes. The break occurs soon afterwards with Butcher’s circular breathing exposition intersecting with violin string straining that constantly moves forward. Eventually an overriding brass smear, twisted reed whistles and swelling strings combine to subsume into a linear buzz that completes the improvisations while referencing the tonal beginning.

It’s obvious that the UK continues to turn out exploratory improvisers as these sets demonstrate. And intergenerational collaborations simply strengthens the flow of ideas and interaction among them.

—Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Stovelit: 1. Part 1 2. Part 2 3. Part 3

Personnel: Stovelit: John Butcher (soprano and tenor saxophones): Steve Beresford (piano and objects): Thurston Moore (guitar); John Edwards (bass) and Terry Day (percussion)

Track Listing: Nodosus: 1. Nodosus Part 1. 2. Nodosus Part 2

Personnel: Nodosus: Matt Davis (trumpet); John Butcher (soprano and tenor saxophones): Angharad Davies (violin); Dominic Lash (bass) and Dimitra Lazaridou-Chatzigoga (zither)