Label: Emanem – 4134
Format: CD, Album; Country: UK - Released: 2007
Style: Free Improvisation
Track 1 recorded at London on July 14, 1968
Track 2 recorded at London on April 25, 1971
Track 3 recorded at London (Little Theatre Club) on October 11, 1973
Edited By, Mastered By, Design – Martin Davidson
Re-Design (pages 2, 3, 4 - inside) by ART&JAZZ Studio
Photography By – Jak Kilby
Transferred By [Analogue To Digital Transfer] – Paul Wilson
The history of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble is still full of undocumented lineups, revelations big and small, and other surprises. Case in point: Frameworks, a wonderful collection of previously unavailable recordings released by Emanem in early 2007. The three pieces included feature three different lineups, all improvising collectively from John Stevens' frameworks -- roughly-sketched sequences of events or directives aimed at developing group improvisation. The first lineup is documented here for the first time: Stevens (percussion), Trevor Watts (on bass clarinet instead of his trusty soprano sax), Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn), Paul Rutherford (trombone), and jazz singer Norma Winstone. Their "Familie Sequence" (33 minutes) from July 1968 is a riveting, slow-churning performance opening on a gagaku-like tutti. Sound quality is surprisingly good for such an old unissued document. The second lineup was previously known, although only from a very badly pressed LP: Stevens, Watts, bassist Ron Herman, and singer Julie Tippetts (also playing an acoustic guitar). Their 30- minute "Quartet Sequence" (April 1971) is simply mesmerizing and stands as one of the SME's best performances by any lineup, period. The sonic similarities between Tippetts' voice and Watts' soprano sax are eerie, sending chills down your spine every time they happen to lock on the same note. Their dialogue steals the show, though Stevens and Herman never quite fall back into a typical rhythm section role. The shorter "Flower" (nine minutes) from October 1973 features the well-documented duo of Stevens and Watts in a performance announcing the heights of their Face to Face CD. However, after the two longer, denser, and voice-led pieces preceding it, "Flower" can't help sound like a footnote. That being said, it is no waste of time either. Frameworks is not very significant on a historical basis, but musically speaking, it ranks among the strongest SME collections, way up there alongside Quintessence. "Quartet Sequence" is alone worth the price of admission.
_ By François Couture
Increasingly, the Spontaneous Music Ensemble recordings released on Emanem (which now number ten CDs, not including Spontaneous Music Orchestra releases) resemble the pieces of a large and intricate jigsaw puzzle. The recordings span some twenty-eight years, at least twenty-five recording occasions ("sessions not being the appropriate word) and numerous line-ups—John Stevens being the only ever-present participant.
Despite this proliferation, each new release brings fresh insights into this vital and pioneering group. This CD adds three more key pieces to the jigsaw, its tracks dating from 1968, 1971 and 1973. The first two tracks are from the (relatively undocumented) period in the late '60s and early 70s, when vocals were an important component of SME. They feature some of the most beautiful music released by SME.
The frameworks of the album title refer to various concepts, with names such as "dot piece, and "phrase piece developed by John Stevens to help players into the relatively new format of free group improvising.
The opener, "Familie Sequence, employs a line-up that, including vocalist Norma Winstone, has not been previously heard on disc. With three wind instruments in addition to vocals, the line-up is perfect to employ two of Stevens' frameworks—the sustained piece (where each musician holds notes for as long as comfortable) and the click piece (where each note must be as short as possible.) After an introductory theme apparently influenced by Japanese court music, "Familie Sequence includes several of each framework plus freely improvised sections. This provides a structure that is more formal than usual for SME. Winstone and Kenny Wheeler are just as much jazz musicians as free improvisers, while Paul Rutherford is mainly an improviser. The structure facilitates group playing that makes such distinctions irrelevant.
Julie Tippetts was a member of SME for much of 1971, recording the out-of-print Birds of a Feather and 1.2.Albert Ayler with this line-up. "Quartet Sequence is a stunning track, characterized by interplay between all four players. Across its thirty minutes, there is great variety—from a highly complex but powerful rhythmic section through a sparse, mournfully atmospheric section in which Stevens plays glockenspiel and gong, to a closing click piece.
Shortly after Tippetts left, SME became the duo of Stevens and Watts. Their track here, "Flower, opens with some formal exchanges that are tightly controlled by another of Stevens' frameworks whereby two players could not play at the same time. The result consists of intermittent notes, immediately echoed by the other player, in an effect similar to a click piece. Slowly the music becomes less restrained and towards the end there are some freer exchanges. However, the overall feeling is of players inhibited by the framework rather than liberated by it. Fascinating listening, though, and also a signpost to places that improvised music has revisited in recent years.
One day, maybe far off, there will be a definitive edition of all the SME's music in chronological order. Until that happy day comes, enjoy the jigsaw!
_ By JOHN EYLES, Published: April 3, 2007 (AAJ)
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