Articles by Daniel Spicer

Greg Burk Trio: Nothing, Knowing

by Daniel Spicer
September 20, 2005

Let's presume it's not too obvious a question, almost a century since King Oliver taught Satchmo how to blow his soul out the end of his horn and say what he damn well felt like saying. Exactly what is the relationship between improvisation and jazz? Pianist Greg Burk tackles this question on Nothing, Knowing, with nine originals that investigate the tension between composition and improvisation with captivating results.

Supported by two veterans in stellar form, electric bassist Steve ...

Estonian Jazz and the Avant-Garde: Far-out in the Baltics

by Daniel Spicer
July 27, 2005

Estonia is a land of music. Its runic folk song tradition predates the Vikings and its people lift their voices at the slightest provocation. Not surprising, then, that Soviet rule was finally ended in 1991 by the bloodless Singing Revolution --a cycle of mass demonstrations in which a fifth of the population gathered to sing national songs. It's also not surprising that there's now a burgeoning --and very healthy --jazz scene in Estonia, centred around the Jazzkaar international festival, held ...

Soundtrack to a Legend: Jack Johnson & Jack DeJohnette in London

by Daniel Spicer
June 9, 2005

Jack Johnson: Soundtrack to a Legend The Barbican London, UK May 30, 2005Drummer Jack DeJohnette was a driving force in helping to take Miles Davis's music into interesting realms in the 1970s, providing a fluid yet powerful backbone that somehow combined funk, free jazz and rock on such overdriven masterpieces as 1970's Live Evil. Thus, though DeJohnette is not credited as playing on Miles's album A Tribute to Jack Johnson, his presence here ...

Jazzkaar Festival: International Jazz in Estonia

by Daniel Spicer
May 11, 2005

Jazzkaar Tallinn, Estonia 22nd April - 30th April 2005

Take two nights in Tallinn, medieval capital of Baltic Estonia, at the 16th annual Jazzkaar festival, two nights pretty much chosen at random from the week of concerts, and you'll notice two interesting and important things that say a lot about the state of jazz in the 21st century. Firstly, as the name suggests, you will witness the full 'jazz arc', an impossibly wide selection of ...

Henri Texier's Strada Sextet: Vive la Revolution!

by Daniel Spicer
March 25, 2005

Henri Texier Pavillion Theatre, Brighton, UK 17th March 2005

Tonight the air is full of revolt. Not just because of the fiery music on offer, or the defiant spirit of '68 embodied in the calmly radical physical presence of Henri Texier, the revolutionary elder statesman. No, tonight we almost witness another very English, middle-class, mild-mannered though slightly irritable revolution of a completely different kind.

This is the fourth date of a twelve night tour of ...

London Jazz Festival 2004

by Daniel Spicer
February 3, 2005

Index Future Sounds of Jazz Matthew Bourne and the Distortion Trio Ganelin Trio Clearframe Bicycle Clip Sex/Gail Brand and Gina Southgate/Badland

Future Sounds of Jazz Royal Festival Hall, London, UK November 12th 2004

The first thing to note about this ambitious, 12-piece collective of young British jazz stars is the awfulness of its name. It promises a lot but, sadly, it just ...

London Jazz Festival: Anthony Braxton Quintet + Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon & Tony Oxley

by Daniel Spicer
January 6, 2005

Anthony Braxton Quintet + Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon & Tony Oxley Royal Festival Hall London, UK November 15th, 2004

Every now and then there comes a show, like this heavyweight double-bill, that seems laden with a sense of its own importance, like history in the making. How frustrating, then, when it only partially meets those expectations.

Anthony Braxton's set has the exhilarating feel of being at once both rigorously scored and wonderfully free. ...