Willberg/Andreae/Birchall: Live in Beppu

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Sam Andreae (as)
Otto Willberg (b)
David Birchall (g)

Label:

Vernacular Recordings/Heavy Petting

July/2018

Catalogue Number:

VR006/HP006

RecordDate:

18 April 2017

The fact that all three musicians credit themselves as playing ‘bits’ is highly relevant. Although primarily a saxophonist, a guitarist and a double-bassist respectively, on this hour-long improvisation Andreae, Birchall and Willberg largely sound like they're scrabbling around in a bucket full of bric-a-brac. Plunks, honks, tinkles, groans, whirrs, rattles and creaks create a fleeting, twitchy, attention-deficit sound-carpet that buzzes with minute activity. Of course, it's a little silly – and you can almost hear the smiles on their faces – but it's also a welcome reminder of the idea of ‘play’ that sits at the heart of improvisation, and which all too often gets buried under po-faced high seriousness. It's not necessarily a new idea – veteran UK improvisers such as Adam Bohman and Steve Beresford have been doing something similar for years – but it's nicely done, nonetheless. Next time you find yourself rummaging around at a car boot sale, why not call it sound art?

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