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Application Intercation And... Hi 4 Head Records HFH-002 CD £10.99 The trio of drummer John Stevens, bassist Barry Guy and saxophonist Trevor Watts was one of Stevens's hottest small groups and the two records they cut for Spotlite in the late 70s are Atlantic straddling classics that reconcile the emotive supernatural force of the late Albert Ayler with the exacting microdetail of the post SME set. Application Interaction And... was the second of these discs, the first, No Fear, having already been made available on CD by Hi 4 Head. At points the fidelity is pretty murky, with Stevens sounding like he's playing his kit with boxing gloves and Guy's bass almost overloading the speakers but all of that bottom end works as a delicious contrast to the upper register blasts that Watts peels from the ceiling. Guy is on inspired form and Watts' evocative, bluesy cries bring out the Charlie Haden in him, dropping yo-yoing notes right into the bell of Watts's horn and plunging across register. The arco passage that caps the first piece sounds like more like a tiny rainbow of electronics than mere hairs on wire and Watts falls into step with a slow marching motif that feels more channelled than improvised. Stevens is better served by the second track, where his subtle time inversions and emphatic punctuation throw up countless phantom goalposts for Guy and Watts to make for. An excellent restoration of a great set. |
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Mining The Seam Hi 4 Head Records HFH-003 CD £10.99 Another great archival side from a trio that burned up the late 70s UK scene with the kind of high energy free jazz moves more commonly associated with US titans than their fellow UK improvisers. The group cut two massively-charged sides for the Spotlite label in the late 70s - No Fear and Application Interaction And... and this killer compilation rescues the rest of the Spotlite sessions that didn't make it to the final cut and there's a ton of rare meat here, with an alternate take of "No Fear", a track that is always a big favourite at VT HQ, with a bunch of extended, unedited takes and some alternate versions. |
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World Sonic Hi 4 Head Records HFH-004 CD £10.99 The UK Hi 4 Head label has been doing a great job of filling in the gaps in the career of UK saxophonist Trevor Watts, best known for his work with the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Amalgam et al. Their reissues of alla the material from the legendary Stevens/Watts/Guy trio in the late 70s has been a real public service and this one makes for some extra gravy with a set of recent solo alto saxophone improvisations that mix modal, middle eastern smoke with circular hymnals and space-surfing melodies that at points recall some of Joe McPhee's recent work. |
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Live In Sao Paulo, Brasil Hi 4 Head Records HFH-005 CD £10.99 Another new set from the Hi 4 Head stable, dedicated to filling in the gaps in the back catalogue of saxophonist Trevor Watts of Spontaneous Music Ensemble/Amalgam/Steven-Watts-Guy fame. This one is a live recording from Brasil in 2005 that sees Watts hooked-up with percussionist/vocalist Jamie Harris. |
