Dangerous Musics in ’91

Originally assembled by Jon Corbett, for BBC Radio’s “Jazz Today” in April 1987, Dangerous Musics featured: Jon, Evan Parker, and two percussionists Will Evans and Thebe Lipare. Later, pianists replaced percussion with first Chris Burn and later Pat Thomas. According to my diary, the first gig with the Dangerous Musics trio heard on this recording was in April 1989 at The Plough Stockwell. The first five tracks are part of a session recorded by Jon (to cassette) at Rogers flat in Notting Hill. The cover photograph was taken the same day. A year or two later, after dinner at his house, Jon said “ Oh! I found this down the back of the sofa – I don’t know where it came from, I didn’t record it.” He passed me an unmarked cassette. (Ironically the day that Fay took the cover photo, she also took one of us in rubbish dump – sitting on a sofa! Punk Jazz? The negatives have, unfortunately, gone missing.) It’s a live recording at an unknown venue, obviously by someone in the audience. It’s a very lively room and judging by the small, but enthusiastic applause, not enough bodies to soak up the sound. I think it’s a case of LowFi HiEnergy, but a typical Dangerous Musics gig. I remember playing the tape to Roger, we both thought that it would be nice to have some way of releasing it. Well, seventeen years or so later here it is.
Nick Stephens

“Dangerous Musics performed alert, high-velocity improvised music that expressed itself with rude cartoon violence and and stumbled along in agitated outbursts….Corbet’s lithe malleable trumpet feels like it’s perpetually trying to engineer an escape route from its high register, from where broken fanfares and disquieting screams tumble around Stephens’s rapid-response bass and Turner’s lawless drums. The disc begins with five professionally recorded etude-like improvisations from 1991, and moves to the ‘lost gig'(exquisitly remastered) to which Corbett’s agile flute adds expotentially. A forgotten part of our Improv heritage.” Phillip Clark, WIRE

“There is a fascinating story unfolding as we listen: a more restained section for sombre reflections followed by an explosive bit that is nearly over the top. This is edge-of-your-seat thrills throughout” Bruce Lee Gallanter, DOWNTOWN MUSIC. http://downtownmusicgallery.com/Main/index.htm

“Their music is all about nervous sound, intense interaction and joint creative destruction. Don’t look for themes, melody or rhythm, don’t look for solos in the traditional sense, but enjoy the bursts of notes, shrieks, wails, crashes, kicks, agitated plucks … in short, the kind of music that some will not call music. But it is, and very much so, although with a total disregard for conventions and tradition. It is violent at times, but also subtle, sometimes even emotional, with an unbelievable immediacy and playing “in the moment”….(On the longer live track) the possibilities offered by its length make it even better than the other pieces, with Corbett switching to flute, and the rhythm section moves into a powerful thundering mode which was totally absent at the beginning of the record. Don’t be too concerned about the fact that the music was originally recorded on cassettes: the sound has been digitally remastered and now brought back to life, for today’s audiences, who, I hope, have grown into vast multitudes … with open minds and open ears.” Stef, FREE JAZZ http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com