Jazz Articles about John Butcher

John Butcher / Gerry Hemingway: Buffalo Pearl

by John Eyles
March 2, 2009

John Butcher's Resonant Spaces (Confront, 2008) featured the saxophonist's use of controlled feedback and recordings in large resonant spaces, trends in his recent work that emphasize the exploratory side of his playing.

This was exemplified on albums such as Cavern With Nightlife (Weight of Wax, 2004), and Geometry of Sentiment (Emanem, 2007). Astonishing as these undoubtedly are, focusing solely on those albums could give a distorted view of Butcher's oeuvre, emphasizing his experimental nature but not ...

Butcher / Muller / van der Schyff: Way Out Northwest

by Sean Patrick Fitzell
February 23, 2009

British saxophonist John Butcher is a longtime practitioner of spontaneous performances, game for playing with unfamiliar musicians in concert. For the 2007 Vancouver Jazz Festival, he took the stage with local musicians that shared his sensibilities: adventurous bassist Torsten Muller and increasingly ubiquitous drummer Dylan van der Schyff. Way Out Northwest documents the trio's initial outing, a nearly 50-minute performance of six improvisational exercises. Butcher and van der Schyff had previously played as a duo at the ...

John Butcher: Resonant Spaces

by Mark Corroto
February 15, 2009

A couple of saxophonists once demonstrated how different players get varying sounds from their horns based on their individual physical attributes. They explained that chest cavity, throat, and mouth shape all contribute to defining a musician's particular sound. Saxophonist John Butcher takes that concept one step further playing solo pieces in varying resonant spaces such as a cave, a reservoir, oil tank and a mausoleum.

His Resonant Spaces project with Japanese musician/instrument builder Akio Suzuki (not heard on ...

John Butcher / Gerry Hemingway: Buffalo Pearl

by Mark Corroto
February 13, 2009

There are some combinations in jazz that are simply magic, including the duos of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli; Stan Getz and Kenny Barron; and Peter Brotzmann and Han Bennink. Add to that list the teaming of John Butcher and Gerry Hemingway. Though not a new pairing--the saxophonist and drummer became acquainted in 1993 and released Shooters & Bowlers on Red Toucan in 2001-- Buffalo Pearl is extremely compelling.

Both players are involved in projects too numerous to ...

John Butcher: The Geometry of Sentiment

by Glenn Astarita
October 28, 2007

No task seems too mighty or unattainable for consummate improviser, saxophonist John Butcher. On this venture, the artist embarks upon a solo flight captured at various European and Japanese locations, spanning museums and music venues. Performing on tenor and soprano saxophones, he employs amplified/feedback on two cuts, where he shines as a polytonal sound machine of sorts.

It's a study in contrasts, where Butcher morphs minimalism with heated phrasings to convey a myriad of emotively-charged parables. On the ...

John Butcher: The Geometry of Sentiment

by John Eyles
October 24, 2007

A new John Butcher solo album always sends a shiver of anticipation down the spine. Given Butcher's impressive track record as a solo explorer, any new release is sure to contain stimulating, exciting music. And so it proves here, with 2007's The Geometry of Sentiment.

This music comes from five different dates between November 2004 and November 2006. More tellingly, it comes from five very different locations and playing situations. The two opening tracks were recorded on a return visit ...

Sten Sandell Trio plus John Butcher: Strokes

by Nic Jones
October 3, 2007

Here's a paradox. This is a release which emphatically preaches the virtues of free improvisation yet it does so by means of stealth, an awareness of the infinite possibilities of light and shade, and the fashioning of music that's never less than acutely aware of the intrinsic value of silence and near-silence.

Over the course of two lengthy pieces and a relative snippet, this augmented trio sounds like anything but--such is the group's advanced level of ...