“Dance to it, make love to it, stare at the clouds to it” - Iggy Pop
Formed by Bex Burch in 2015, Vula Viel’s music has shifted over the course of their three critically acclaimed albums, from Afro jazz-tinged adaptations of traditional Dagaare music towards a unique sound rooted in post punk.
Placing Bex's rawly delivered gyil (Ghanian xylophone) rhythms as the central element, the band’s scything rock dynamics have seen them championed by Iggy Pop. Bassist Ruth Goller (Skylla, Acoustic Ladyland, Melt Yourself Down) and drummer Jim Hart (Cloudmakers Trio) complete the line-up. They have gained further plaudits for their pulsating live shows at venues such as Café OTO and Total Refreshment Centre.
The trio are joined by NYC legend Peter Zummo. In addition to performing his own compositions and leading his own ensembles, he has worked with myriad bands, orchestras, composers and musicians.
Peter's celebrated trombone style is one of the most beloved features of Arthur Russell's sound, with whom he played and collaborated with in the recording studio.
★ ★ ★ ★ Evening Standard
★ ★ ★ ★ Jazzwise
★ ★ ★ ★ Financial Times
★ ★ ★ ★ Songlines
The Free Range Orchestra will be playing the opening set to launch their new album, Connections, recorded live with saxophonist Evan Parker in July 2021.
Links
Vula Viel website
Peter Zummo website
#5 Go Bang (Dinosaur L, produced by Arthur Russell, feat Peter Zummo)
Arthur Russell - In The Light of The Miracle (featuring Peter Zummo)
We finish our Spring season with a performance of Mendelssohn’s violin concerto like you’ve never heard it before.
The celebrated classical soloist, Chihiro Ono, will play the solo violin part completely straight, while an orchestra of improvising musicians, dancers and poets interpret Mendelssohn’s score with theremin, live electronics, oboe, flute, saxophones, trumpet, pianos, viola, violins, double bass, voices, guitars, bass clarinet, cutlery, musical saw and tap dancing.
Following on from their performance of the Beethoven violin concerto for BBC Radio 3, experimental music groups Squib-box and ARCO and the soloist Chihiro Ono join forces with the Free Range Orchestra for this extraordinary performance of this perennial classic.
The concert also features smaller sets by members of ARCO and Squib.
chihiroono.com Chihiro Ono (violin soloist)
neilluck.com Neil Luck (conductor?!)
squib-box.com/2018/05/baggage-beethoven-violin-concerto Beethoven violin concerto
bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05zshht Beethoven violin concerto
Black Top, the duo of multi-instrumentalist Orphy Robinson and pianist Pat Thomas, is a shape-shifting unit whose freely improvised performances combine twisted loops, samples and dub-effects, drawing on their Afro-Caribbean roots with a spontaneity and daring rooted in experimental free-jazz.
Returning to Free Range after their 2019 performance, they are joined by the gifted 24-year old saxophonist, flautist and composer, Xhosa Cole (BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2018).
[Black Top’s latest album, Some Good News,] vibrates with wild energy from start to finish … But what really lifts this above the average is the unit's ability to switch seamlessly into diasporic pan-global grooves … This 21st century melting pot is brimming over with thrills. (Jazzwise)
Links
Black Top (live at Free Range 2019)
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=black%20top%20free%20range
Xhosa Cole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5S8zWkNJpQ
We are pleased to present the drummer Roger Turner improvising as duo with the guitarist Pascal Marzan.
Pascal Marzan plays a microtonal 10 string guitar. After studying classical guitar in Paris in the 70's and 80's, playing music by Luciano Berio and Tristan Murail, Pascal became interested in improvisation and the music of eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. He was particularly drawn to central Asian music from Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan, and Kyrghyztan.
The drummer Roger Turner has been described by The Wire as "one of the giants of free improvisation":
‘He has a virtuosity as astounding as it is inexplicably hilarious. i have rarely heard such an exquisite combination of volcanic power and finely- honed precision' (The Wire)
The opening set features the poet Kat Peddie reading from her own work alongside a collaboration with Walt Whitman, the Free Range Orchestra and the audience.
Pazcal Marzan duet with Phil Durrant (bandcamp)
Roger Turner with Chris Biscoe at FR#130
Kat Peddie conducting the Free Range Band for FR#166
turners-site.com
*The original line-up for this evening included Phil Minton, who was unable to play because of ill health.