London Duos and Trios

Chronique

The subtitle describes it well: "Hans Koch Meets London Musicians." Better: "Hans Koch Meets Selected Masters of Free Improvisation from London." Best: "Hans Koch Meets Selected Masters of Free Improvisation from London who often Record on the Emanem Label." In any case, Koch is fully up to the task. In December 2000, he traveled from central Europe to London, recording both live and in the studio in duos and trios with some of the city's leading lights, including electronics whiz :Pat Thomas, bassist John Edwards, voice-twister Phil Minton, percussionist Roger Turner, harpist Rhodri Davies, cellist Mark Wastell, drummer Steve Noble, and violinist Phil Durrant. Koch performed on soprano sax, bass clarinet, and contrabass clarinet. The results are riveting, rivaling the best work of each of the contributors, with Koch showing his remarkable versatility. The tracks with Phil Minton and with John Edwards are the best, if only because of their palpable intensity, but every improvisation is worth hearing. Those accustomed to these London musicians, who are well documented on the Emanem label, realize how radical yet cathartic their music can be. There are no melodies, of course, but the pleasures of these unadulterated, unvarnished explorations are virtually without peer. The requisite small sounds, squeaks, virtuosic displays and self-indulgent fantasies are all there, with Koch fitting in like a hornet in a hornets' nest. The diversity is impressive, as the changes in volume alone are spectacularly disruptive. Koch proves himself a formidable partner, totally up to the difficult task of confronting the London masters on equal footing. This one's got staying power.

© Steven Loewy /TiVo