Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Alan Wilkinson / John Edwards / Steve Noble: Live At Cafe Oto

374

Alan Wilkinson / John Edwards / Steve Noble: Live At Cafe Oto

By

Sign in to view read count
Alan Wilkinson / John Edwards / Steve Noble: Live At Cafe Oto
The audacity of free jazz is its tightrope balance between chaos and control, music almost without boundaries. Vociferous and untamed, maybe, but certainly not undisciplined, it takes a certain skill and ingenuity to create music such as heard on Live At Cafe Oto. To the contrary, the UK free jazz trio—Alan Wilkinson (reeds), John Edwards (bass), and Steve Noble (drums) is clearly versed in jazz theory from the hard bop sounds of Charles Mingus to the avant-gardism of Albert Ayler.

The trio is establishing their sound in London's music scene as fierce improvisers, performing in multiple seminal groups such as the N.E.W and the Peter Brotzmann & Alan Wilkinson Quartet. Following their first recording, Obliquity (Bo'Weavil, 2008), this concert captures their sound in unadulterated form, a performance that is an unrelenting and whimsical ride, all within the space of just two tracks.

A clarinet's scream opens "Spellbound" into thirty-one minutes of sheer energy. It's frantic pace moving like a wall of sound—screeching horn, slicing bowed bass trills, and polyrhythmic drums. Yet within this sonic barrage, the music never becomes monotonous. It adapts and changes, like a living organism. Around the four minute mark the music resembles a hectic marketplace in India; at nine minutes, a rowdy groove tempo; at twelve minutes, a complete three ring circus act with horn skronks, dizzying bass, and tinkering percussion. Surprisingly inventive, these musicians are in complete control of their instruments, displaying excellent technique and stamina in a muscular display of trio abandon.

"Recoil" is just under eight minutes but still packs a nasty punch. It's a shorter yet equally potent display of musical theatrics (howls, whistles, and outlandish voices). Noble's drums lay down a funky path as Edwards' double bass quakes. Right at the end of this impossible-metered tune, the music changes to a decelerated swing tempo with Eric Dolphy-esque swagger. From the wild applause at the end of both tracks, Oto's crowd got what they wanted and the trio delivered a definite live experience.

Track Listing

Spellbound; Recoil.

Personnel

Alan Wilkinson: alto, baritone saxophone, voice; John Edwards: bass; Steve Noble: drums.

Album information

Title: Live At Cafe Oto | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Bo'Weavil

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.