NEW RELEASES 2009Soon to be released: MCD 0901 Fox Fire From Barry Guy’s introduction: There was a sense of excitement as the trio opened their first set in Birmingham of a mostly north England tour. Adjectives such as spiritual, energized, even devotional all come to mind. The meeting with Ken Vandermark in a classic trio formation of Saxophone (doubling clarinet), bass and percussion was suggested by Mark Sanders reacting to a tour proposal by the indefatigable organizer of Jazz events in the U.K. Tony Dudley-Evans. The music was like an initiation, a very special meeting of three practitioners in the arcane art of improvisation. It was electric, with all channels of communication tuned to the maximum sensitivity. Later, sometime after the tour, the inevitable had to be considered - the choice of music for these CDs and titles that might impart a sense of the occasion. The album title FOX FIRE refers to a Finnish fable about a fox starting fires by running across the snow with its sweeping tail sending sparks off into the sky - The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. The Finnish word for Fox fire is Revontulet. There was certainly an awareness of fiery interactions within the trio music. Two titles, taken from the Hopi Indian language speak for themselves: KATSINA (initiation) the mainstay of Hopi culture where spiritual ties are established uniting the people whatever their geographical, linguistic or political persuasions. Boundaries are similarly transcended in improvisation, and communication between colleagues ensures the rites of passage. And KWINGYAW (the person who lives up in the cold North) which we dedicate to Tony Dudley-Evans. But what of disc two? Hop varieties grace these five tracks. On the stand the atmosphere was convivial and intense. Off the stand we had the chance to exchange philosophies, visit an exhibition of painter Francis Bacon (a favourite of Ken's) in London and partake in the tasting of some very special English Ales, which became something of a pungent disquisition into flavours, ingredients and geography. Well known are the various hops that impart a bitterness into a fermenting ale. Having explained the sources for the titles, I naturally hope that the listener will follow the unfolding process we went through as we traversed this musical landscape. ************************ Other CDs to be released in 2009: Duo Recording with Agusti Fernandez, piano, Barry Guy, bass ************************ Also in the making: ************************ RECENT RELEASES: MCD0803 From the CD text by David Ledbetter "Clavier Übung III is a series of profound meditations on the central doctrines of Lutheran faith, written with all the traditional expressive and communicative musical means of which Bach was the greatest master. It is the summit of his achievement as an improviser and composer of chorale-based organ works, and as such has never been equalled, let alone surpassed." "Clavier Übung III ist eine Serie tiefer Meditationen über zentrale lutherische Dogmen unter Verwendung traditioneller musikalischer Symbolik, die Bach wie kein anderer beherrschte. In diesem Werk erreicht er als Improvisator und Komponist choralgebundener Orgelwerke den Höhepunkt seines Könnens und bleibt darin bis heute unübertroffen, ja sogar unerreicht." ************************ BARRY GUY - MATS GUSTAFSSON - RAYMOND STRID “… The music on this album wells up from the joy of working together, with our singular energies coalescing to reflect the heat of engagement and the coolness of the open space around us.” Barry Guy ************************ MAYA HOMBURGER, BAROQUE VIOLIN INACHIS - AGLAIS - LYSANDRA are the compositions by Barry Guy, which will exist between Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas on our three CD project. They are all named after butterflies which for me represent the ultimate symbol for the mysteries and spirituality in nature, for colour, lightness of touch, intensity. I am pleased to have found a writer in Elisabeth Binder who agreed to compose an essay for this CD, not necessarily based on J.S.Bach and his music but on nature, depicted by one of the ************************ FERNÁNDEZ-PARKER-GUY-LYTTON When Evan Parker, Barry Guy and percussionist ************************ H.I. F. Biber (1644-1704) Double CD MCD0603 Maya Homburger, baroque violin
This CD was awarded the And the Magazin “Musik&Theater” gave it the ************************ Still..... in the making is a limited edition of 112 LPs with the long out of print recording by Barry Guy Statements V-XI (originally Incus 22). Each sleeve will have an original art work applied by artists like Alan Davie, Albert Irvin, Paul Mosse, Fred Hellier, Barry Guy, Hans Husel, Jan Erik Willgohs and Caroline Forbes. |