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Tony Oxley: A Birthday Tribute--75 Years
ByThe music here all originates from unreleased live sessions. From 1993, comes a quartet with Bailey, Pat Thomas and Matt Wand (from Stock, Hausen and Walkman) of the same vintage as their fine album Tony Oxley / Derek Bailey Quartet (Jazzwerkstatt, 2008). From 1977 come a duo with Paul Rutherford on trombone and electronics, a trio with violinist Phillip Wachsmann and guitarist Ian Brighton, and a solo piece. Altogether, the album is a gift not to Oxley himself but to fans of the music which he and Incus championed and epitomisedclassic improv. It showcases Oxley in a variety of situations and is eloquent testimony to his talents as a musician. (Incidentally, Oxley is a man of many talents and another is displayed on the sleeve which reproduces one of his paintings.)
The opening quartet, "Colour Fields," is the album's longest at over twenty-seven minutes and is a tour de force performance by all four players. The combination of the "elder statesmen" Oxley and Bailey with the far younger Thomas and Wand speaks volumes about Incus's openness and sense of adventure; as with so many of the label's daring ventures, the foursome works and interacts well. There is plenty of room for all four players to be heard clearly, with the two senior partners both in top form, well supported and complemented by Thomas's fractured keyboards and the occasional surreal interjection by Wand's samples. The second quartet piece, "Urban Forms," is briefer but just as effective, with Bailey particularly powerful.
The transition from the 1993 tracks to those recorded in 1977 is smooth, with the sixteen-year difference revealing no obvious stylistic or technical differences. The drummer's duo with another colossus of the music, Rutherford, is a summit meeting in which each employs electronics, Oxley to amplify his kit, the trombonist to treat his horn; the end result is a breathtaking maelstrom of acoustic and electronic sounds which could so easily be the work of four players; at just over seven minutes, it leaves one craving far more of the same. The trio with Wachsmann's violin and Brighton's guitarOxley still amplifying his kitis in complete contrast; its juxtaposition with the preceding duo highlights what a versatile and mercurial player Oxley is. Appropriately, his birthday tribute concludes with the drummer alone with his kit and electronics, giving a performance which shows why he has been one of the best for so long.
Happy birthday, Tony. Long may you reign.
Track Listing
Colour Fields; Urban Forms; Kelson; The Earth Sounds; Times
Personnel
Tony Oxley
drumsTony Oxley: drums, percussion; Derek Bailey: guitar (1, 2); Pat Thomas: keyboards (1, 2); Matt Wand: sampler (1, 2); Paul Rutherford: trombone, electronics (3); Phillip Wachsmann: violin (4); Ian Brighton: guitar (4).
Album information
Title: A Birthday Tribute--75 Years | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Incus
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