prepared piano and others
So as the end of the year is coming, I am at home with a cold (like many) and am trudging through lots of live recordings trying to filter out things of use. I have come across a gig I did with Shabaka Hutchings in the London Jazz Festival this year. Of course playing with Shabaka is a lot of fun all the time, but this was particularily interesting as Adam Caird (the promoter at the Forge, the venue who asked me to do the gig) had made a point of asking for the gig to be played on a prepared piano. This is something I already had an orbital interest anyway, so this seemed like a good chance to get stuck in.
So my first port of call was Graham Lee and Carol Garrison, two friends of mine, film buffs and jazz lovers of the highest order. They kindly offered up their house and piano for some experimentation. Carol’s Kawai grand was used to this treatment already as Carol was up on her prepared piano knowledge – already possessing scores of Cage Sonatas and the relevant equipment. Carol and Graham also put me in touch with someone to give me some tips – Chris Burn.
So we all met at Carol and Graham’s house a few weeks before the gig. Chris was very nice and explained lots of things to me, as well as letting me borrowing his equipment for the gig (as well as Carols). Chris is a seriously amazing pianist and any (rare) chance to see him public should be taken, as he is great (and an expert on this particular field of music). He has a made a great CD of Henry Cowell music – avaiable here -
http://www.discogs.com/Chris-Burn-A-Henry-Cowell-Concert/release/1955765
So, with dangerously strong magnets in hand I set off to practice on my upright piano (with limited success – as the strings are of course shorter and there is less room to put the magnets on – particularly as they stick together if placed to close to each other). I read on the internet that these magnets are so strong that you can’t keep them near credit cards, computers, phones etc. So I was cautious, and gave them a wide berth.
Heres a picture of them (this is not my hand)
Before I know it, the jazz Festival had already arrived. Luckily my gig with Shabaka was early on (the first Saturday), but I still had to come back that morning from Frankfurt (the Forge was a lunchtime gig) – I didn’t fancy my chances taking those magnets through customs, so Ruth kindly brought them to the Forge for me, and then me and Shabaka were ready to play (if a little sleep deprived). So here are two little snippets of the concert which Shabaka recorded on this phone. Thanks to Carol, Graham, Chris, Adam and Charlotte, Shabaka and Ruth for making it happen.
Shabaka and Kit (live at the Forge) by kitdownesmusic
Shabaka and Kit 2 (live at Forge) by kitdownesmusic
Another quick note – my Quintet – with James Maddren (drums), Calum Gourlay (bass), Lucy Railton (cello) and James Allsopp (bass clarinet) – have worked on a load of new music for a new recording in March (for Basho again). We are trying it all out for the first time in London on Sunday 15th January at Charlie Wrights (near Old Street). Please come down if this sounds of interest.
