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Mujician: There's No Going Back Now
by Nic Jones
This quartet has been together for a long time, and its music has been documented on CD before. All of this is abundantly obvious in the single 45-minute piece on this disc.
Within the first two minutes it becomes readily apparent that this is an extraordinarily empathetic group, each member constantly alert to the contributions of his fellows. This combination of listening and responding is the very heart of what the group produces musically, and passages of all-out intensity are ...
read moreMujician: Spacetime
by John Eyles
Within improvised music, there are (at least) two very different traditions. In one tradition (exemplified by groupings such as Company and Relay) musicians who are relatively unknown to each other are thrown together to make what they will of the meeting, sometimes negotiating a common language in the process, often with astonishing results. At the other extreme are long-standing groups of individuals who have played together over many years and established an almost telepathic understanding of each other's playing and ...
read moreMujician: Spacetime
by Andrey Henkin
The Free Jazz tradition in England stretches back to the late ‘60s with such groups as the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Iskra 1903 and the Mike Osborne Trio. Continuing the custom is Mujician, a cooperative group of British heavyweights in Keith Tippett, Tony Levin, Paul Dunmall (the John Surman of his generation) and Paul Rogers. The group has been in existence since 1988 and their musical empathy is evident (the four have played together in various groups aside from Mujician). Tippett's ...
read moreMujician: Colours Fulfilled
by Glenn Astarita
The latest release by Mujician; ““Colours Fulfilled”” is a mesmerizing exhibition of rhythmically structured pieces which by design, enable the band to launch into some momentous dialogue and improvisation. Mujician relies on the muscular rhythm section of Paul Rogers; bass and Tony Levin; drums. Pianist Keith Tippett also emphasizes rhythmic development with an assortment of small percussion instruments such as woodblocks and pebbles while providing a lower register pulse on the piano to propel synergistic rhythmic development. These qualities are ...
read moreMujician: Birdman
by Glenn Astarita
“Birdman” is Mujician’s 3rd effort and was released by Cuneiform Records in 1996. On “Birdman” this accomplished British free-jazz band continue their brilliant assault on modern jazz concepts and skillful improvisational execution. The opener and title cut commences with pianist Keith Tippett’s swirling piano intro, which segues into some stimulating dialogue with bassist Paul Rogers. Subtle tinkering with woodblocks and chimes is a cue for Saxophonist Paul Dunmall’s Evan Parker-ish excursions on Tenor Sax. Dunmall executes in classic “free” fashion ...
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