Sunday 30 January 2022, 7.30pm
John Edwards / double bass
Andrew Lisle / percussion
Dirk Serries / acoustic guitar
Colin Webster / alto sax
Debut OTO show for this phenomenal quartet, following the releases of their Peck and Fleet LP in 2021.
Serries, Webster, and Lisle are no strangers to each other having worked together prolifically for the last six years, most notably in Kodian Trio. On Peck and Fleet however, the three are joined by one of the most pivotal figures in improvised music – John Edwards.
Musically, the quartet play fully acoustic, and with Lisle playing a minimal percussion set-up. The stripped-back instrumentation allows for a focus on texture and timbre, but doesn’t prevent moments of ferociousness either. Peck and Fleet is reminiscent of many albums from the formative ‘golden-era’ of improvised music, with the undeniable stamp of personality from these ‘modernera’ musicians
"Like much of the best free music of the past, 'Peck and Fleet' is an album that sounds as spontaneous and it is thrilling, as free as it is focussed, and as fraternal as it is dissident." – Enola
John Edwards is a true virtuoso whose staggering range of techniques and boundless musical imagination have redefined the possibility of the double bass and dramatically expanded its role, whether playing solo or with others. Perpetually in demand, he has played with Evan Parker, Sunny Murray, Derek Bailey, Joe McPhee, Lol Coxhill, Peter Brötzmann, Mulatu Astatke and many others.
"I think John Edwards is absolutely remarkable: there’s never been anything like him before, anywhere in jazz." - Richard Williams, The Blue Moment
Andrew Lisle is the London-based drummer who performs regularly with saxophonist Colin Webster and guitarist Dirk Serries, with releases on the Raw Tonk and New Wave of Jazz labels. He studied at Leeds College of Music, as well as having a period in Portugal working with some of Lisbon’s veteran improvisers. Now based in London, he works regularly with saxophonist Alan Wilkinson and clarinettist Alex Ward.
Dirk Serries is the curator of the A New Wave Of Jazz label but as well an established soundartist. This Belgian-based artist has experimented with music on the border between avant-garde, industrial, experimental and ambient for more than 30 years. He released his earliest work (1984) behind the pseudonym vidnaObmana up to 2007, with which he gained worldwide praise, when he closed the book on this project (realizing an extensive discography). Other projects like Fear Falls Burning and his Microphonics series made him collaborate with several key-players like Steven Wilson, Justin K. Broadrick, Cult Of Luna, Steve Roach and toured extensively on the sides of Jesu, MONO, Low, My Bloody Valentine and Cult Of Luna.
In October 2013 Dirk Serries re-booted his classic vidnaObmana ambient sound from the mid eighties/early nineties. In contrary to his original music that was mostly synth-based, this ambient music is constructed on electric guitar. Music that flows from its discreet origins: sonic purity, washes of harmony, and organic textures which slow time to a phase of transcendence. On the spot, improvised and real-time. Acclaimed albums were under his own name on Projekt Records and his swansong EPITAPH on Consouling Sounds.
However, being a follower of (free) jazz for years, when meeting Tomas Järmyr (Motorpsycho) and Kristoffer Lo to form YODOK III his confidence in improvisation boosted and slowly shifted from his meticulously executed subtle ambience to being a full improviser on mostly the guitar. As heavily influenced by legendary improviser Derek Bailey, over the past years Dirk manifested him as a strong and new leading figure in the Belgian impro scene and works extensively together with some of the best and modern improvisors like saxophonists Alan Wilkinson, Rodrigo Amado, John Dikeman, Colin Webster and Cel Overberghe, drummers Tomas Järmyr, Steve Noble, Tom Malmendier, George Hadow and Andrew Lisle, tuba player Kristoffer Lo, viola player Benedict Taylor, Otto Willberg (double bass), John Edwards (double bass), Daniel Thompson (guitar) Kris Vanderstraeten (percussion), Patrick De Groote (trumpet), experimentalist Graham Dunning and pianist Martina Verhoeven.
London based saxophonist Colin Webster is quickly establishing himself on the European avant-garde scene. Collaborating with some of the key figures in improvised and experimental music, Webster is known for working from extreme sonic palettes – from minimal to maximal, constantly pushing boundaries.
“The application of circular breathing techniques are essential to this ritual-ready, sustain-heavy sound, it seems. Fans of an ensemble like Phurpa might get as much out of it as jazz cadets into, say, Peter Brötzmann, and if you happen to be the sort of wildcat who likes both, then Vs Amp is likely your kind of journey into sound.” – Noel Gardner, The Quietus
https://colinwebster.bandcamp.com
