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Minton - Butcher - Robair: Blasphemious Fragments
by John Eyles
Studio-recorded in London in July 2017, Blasphemious Fragments brings together an appealing improvising trio comprising vocalist Phil Minton, saxophonist John Butcher and percussionist Gino Robair. For Butcher, the trio reacquaints him with players he has known for decades; he and Minton recorded Two Concerts (FMP) together as far back as 1995, in a trio with German jazz guitarist Erhard Hirt; the two were half of the Phil Minton Quartet that recorded Mouthfull of Ecstasy (Les Disques Victo, 1996), inspired by ...
Continue ReadingThomas/Butcher/Solberg: Fictional Souvenirs
by John Sharpe
Free improvisers favor ephemeral lineups more than most musicians. They keep things fresh and present new challenges. But most improvisers are also fond of particular groupings or connections. That's definitely the case with the British pairing of saxophonist John Butcher, keyboardist and electronicist Pat Thomas and Norwegian drummer Stale Liavik Solberg. They have worked together in various constellations, such that Fictional Souvenirs might be seen as a follow up of sorts to His Flights At Ten (Iluso, 2018) by a ...
Continue ReadingJohn Butcher
by John Eyles
In the Building a Jazz Library article on Evan Parker, it says that seasoned Parker followers would describe him as the finest improvising saxophonist of his generation. Curiously, many of those same people would use exactly that phrase about John Butcher. The simple explanation for this apparent contradiction is that we are talking about two generations; Parker (born 1944) is a member of the “first generation of free improvisation" (along with Derek Bailey, Tony Oxley, John Stevens, Paul Rutherford, Barry ...
Continue ReadingStray: Into Darkness
by John Sharpe
Two old masters and two younger pretenders unite to produce Into Darkness. Saxophonist John Butcher and guitarist John Russell were both part of the so-called second generation of improvisers, following in the wake of progenitors such as Evan Parker, Derek Bailey and John Stevens. Joining them in a continuous 51-minute live performance from London's Iklektic in December 2015 are bassist Dominic Lash and Norwegian drummer Ståle Liavik Solberg. In coming together under the moniker Stray, they decisively upend some stereotypical ...
Continue ReadingJohn Butcher, John Edwards, Mark Sanders: Last Dream at the Morning
by Alberto Bazzurro
Radicalismo improvvisativo duro e puro, per questi tre senatori del ramo, appartenenti alla seconda generazione di musicisti inglesi specializzati nella pratica specifica. Il sassofonismo ispido e acuminato, esplicitamente antigrazioso, di John Butcher (espresso su tenore e soprano, guarda caso) s'ispira palpabilmente a Evan Parker, pontefice massimo in materia (con cui fra l'altro John Edwards ha collaborato di frequente), con suoi i due coéqupiers a interagire in totale souplesse (d'intenti, non climatici). Certo non tutto è memorabile, come ...
Continue ReadingJohn Butcher, Ståle Liavik Solberg: So Beautiful, It Starts to Rain
by Vic Albani
John Butcher sta lentamente prendendo il posto di “sua maestà" Evan Parker che potremmo definire quasi uno specialista degli incontri in duo con percussionisti vari. Scherzi a parte, il sessantatreenne sassofonista di Brighton attivo discograficamente sin dalla fine degli anni Ottanta, torna a far brillare casa Clean Feed da una parte con una ristampa di un lavoro precedentemente pubblicato nel 2006 accanto a Paal Nilssen-Love (Concentric) e dall'altra con questo nuovo lavoro con Ståle Liavik Solberg, ricalcando una ...
Continue ReadingJohn Butcher / Ståle Liavik Solberg: So Beautiful, It Starts To Rain
by John Sharpe
British saxophonist John Butcher and Norwegian percussionist Ståle Liavik Solberg come together in a striking first meeting recorded live at north London's Cafe Oto in August 2015. Butcher brings to bear all the experience one would expect from one of the so-called second generation of English improvisers. Solberg, who co-curates Oslo's Blow Out! Festival each January, has worked extensively with other members of the same cohort such as pianist Steve Beresford and guitarist John Russell, so it's no surprise he ...
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