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Progressive Rock . Avantgarde . Free Jazz . Experimental
└────│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│───┘
x──-·· · "HiGH iNTELLiGeNCE tRoLLS" Presents: · ··--──x
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║ Artist:....Elton Dean and Mark Hewins ║
║ Title:.....Bar Torque ║
┌║ Label:.....www.moonjune.com ║┐
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│ ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Style:..........[ Jazz ] Catalog Nr[ MJR001 ] ║ │
│ ╚╗ Original Date:..[ 2001 ] Playtime:.[ 52:32 min ] ╔╝ │
│ ┌──║ Supplier:.......[ HiT ] Bit.Rate:.[ 192kbps ] ║──┐ │
│ │ ╔╝ Ripper:.........[ HiT ] Size:.....[ 72,2 Megs ] ╚╗ │ │
├─┤ ║ Release Date:...[ June/2003 ] Tracks:...[ 03 ] ║ ├─┤
│ │ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │
│ └────│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│───┘ │
│ ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Release Notes: ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Bar Torque ║ │
│ ║ Elton Dean and Mark Hewins | Moonjune ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ This debut release on the Moonjune label is rich, commanding and ║ │
│ ║ almost uncategorizable, an auspicious beginning for a new imprint. ║ │
│ ║ Elton Dean is well-known as a member of Soft Machine and many British ║ │
│ ║ jazz and fusion projects; Mark Hewins is less familiar but has logged ║ │
│ ║ time with Hugh Hopper, Steve Miller and John Stevens. The two met a ║ │
│ ║ couple of decades ago in StevensÆ Dance Orchestra and have worked ║ │
│ ║ together in Soft Heap since that time. The remarkable duo performance ║ │
│ ║ documented here consistently brings listeners to the edge of their ║ │
│ ║ seats. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ The three long compositions were co-written by the two performers. ║ │
│ ║ Hewins usually has several things going on at once, percolating MIDI ║ │
│ ║ harmonies behind lead lines adding support to DeanÆs light, soulful ║ │
│ ║ voicings. MIDI can be a tool of pure evil in the wrong hands, but ║ │
│ ║ Hewins puts it to estimable use throughout this disc, i.e. the ║ │
│ ║ ôchimesö halfway through ôBar Torqueö. He resonates almost like a ║ │
│ ║ glass harmonica at the start of ôSylvanö, moving into drones and ║ │
│ ║ staccato taps while Dean offers short, sporadic bursts of quiet ║ │
│ ║ thought. The saxophonist waxes bluesy on ôMerilynÆs Caveö, at times ║ │
│ ║ recalling Steve Lacy without the really free leanings. Here is Hewins ║ │
│ ║ as minimalist, holding down looooooong chords that change with ║ │
│ ║ ultimate subtlety beneath the saxophonic monologue. Eventually the ║ │
│ ║ MIDI guitar pops to the forefront to close out the tune with a ║ │
│ ║ wailing, spontaneous-sounding melody. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Bar Torque is music to relax to, but it also rewards careful, ║ │
│ ║ concentrated listening. Many tiny treasures are hidden within, waiting ║ │
│ ║ for a patient audience to excavate them. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Personnel: Elton Dean, saxello, alto saxophone; Mark Hewins, samplers, ║ │
│ ║ Casio PG 380 synth guitar, Y Tatay Thomas acoustic guitar. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Saxophonist Elton Dean has long been acknowledged as a supreme ║ │
│ ║ improviser in many musical contexts, starting with the Soft Machine in ║ │
│ ║ the early 1970s, through his large body of work with the cream of the ║ │
│ ║ British jazz scene (most notably with pianist Keith Tippett) as well ║ │
│ ║ as Carla Bley and most of the musicians associated with the famed ║ │
│ ║ 'Canterbury' scene. "Bar Torque" presents an improvised duo session ║ │
│ ║ with guitarist Mark Hewins, a longtime collaborator with a unique ║ │
│ ║ talent for atmospherics. The music on this release focuses on the most ║ │
│ ║ lyrical dimension of Dean's saxophone playing, his melodic outbursts ║ │
│ ║ inspired by Hewins' delicate, often abstract, harmonic base. The ║ │
│ ║ musical path treaded is unpredictable and utterly original. "Bar ║ │
│ ║ Torque" is improvisation at its most touching and universal. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Recorded live in November, 1992 ║ │
│ ║ at the London Jazz Caf?, UK ║ │
│ ║ Remixed and re-mastered by Mark Hewins at Musart's, November 2000 ║ │
│ ║ Produced by Mark Hewins ║ │
│ ║ Executive production Leonardo Pavkovic ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ REVIEWS ║ │
│ ║ ***** (Five stars) ║ │
│ ║ "Unbelievable! The melancholy mysticism of the rare beauty. One of the ║ │
│ ║ best progressive jazz releases in a long time." ║ │
│ ║ The Global Muse, USA ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ ***** (Five stars) ║ │
│ ║ "The realm of perfection. This is literally the music of the spheres, ║ │
│ ║ filling your senses and your heart with wonder. Think Miles' In a ║ │
│ ║ Silent Way with only Wayne Shorter and John McLaughlin on a guitar ║ │
│ ║ synth, then quadruple the beauty." ║ │
│ ║ Beyond Coltrane, USA ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ ***** (Five stars) ║ │
│ ║ "Editor's pick of the month - October 2001" ║ │
│ ║ All About Jazz, USA ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ ***** (Five stars) ║ │
│ ║ Progressor, Russia ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Elton Dean ║ │
│ ║ saxello, alto sax Mark Hewins ║ │
│ ║ samplers/synth guitar (Casio PG 380), acoustic guitar (Y Tatay Thomas) ║ │
│ ║ MH uses Pecato Musicians Strings ║ │
│ ║ Click on any picture to see enlarged image. ║ │
│ ║ Improvisation can be magical when it brings together musicians with ║ │
│ ║ enoughgenerosity and talent to really exchange with each other. ║ │
│ ║ Saxophonist Elton Dean and guitarist Mark Hewins have reached this ║ │
│ ║ level of musicality with "Bar Torque", a spontaneous dialogue between ║ │
│ ║ two accomplished instrumentalists at the peak of their expressive ║ │
│ ║ powers. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Elton Dean and Mark Hewins have known each other since the late ║ │
│ ║ 1970's, when both gravitated around the same circle of improvising ║ │
│ ║ musicians on the London jazz scene. Their first collaboration of note ║ │
│ ║ was the group Soft Heap, alongside John Greaves and Pip Pyle, a fully ║ │
│ ║ improvisatory outfit which toured Europe extensively between 1981-88. ║ │
│ ║ Very often Dean and Hewins would open the performance with a duo. ║ │
│ ║ Since then, they have kept playing together, and their gig at London's ║ │
│ ║ Jazz Caf? in November 1992 was preserved for posterity and, following ║ │
│ ║ minimal editing, has become "Bar Torque". ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Elton Dean first came to prominence in 1969 as a member of the ║ │
│ ║ explosive Keith Tippett Group, a sextet of young players that made a ║ │
│ ║ stir on the London music scene by attempting to bridge the gap between ║ │
│ ║ jazz, rock and free music. Along with the rest of Tippett's brass ║ │
│ ║ section, Dean was then recruited by Soft Machine, who made a similar ║ │
│ ║ attempt coming from the other end of the spectrum. While continuing to ║ │
│ ║ work with Tippett, Dean recorded several landmark albums with Soft ║ │
│ ║ Machine between 1969-72, the studio efforts "Third", "4" and "5" and ║ │
│ ║ numerous live recordings and radio sessions. After leaving the Softs, ║ │
│ ║ Dean led his own ensembles - Just Us, Ninesense and various ED ║ │
│ ║ Quartets and Quintets - while keeping close ties with both Keith ║ │
│ ║ Tippett and the 'Canterbury' scene, from which the Softs originated. ║ │
│ ║ Formed in 1978, Soft Heap initially brought together ex-members of ║ │
│ ║ Soft Machine (Dean and Hugh Hopper), Gilgamesh (Alan Gowen) and ║ │
│ ║ Hatfield and the North (Pip Pyle). ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Despite being ten years younger than Elton, Mark Hewins began playing ║ │
│ ║ professionally in the very early 1970s, at the tender age of 15, ║ │
│ ║ playing in various 'pub-rock' bands around London until his attention ║ │
│ ║ turned to the 'Canterbury scene' after a chance meeting with the ║ │
│ ║ members of Hatfield and the North. Moving to Kent in 1975, he worked ║ │
│ ║ with various Caravan musicians, then returned to London at the turn of ║ │
│ ║ the decade to immerse himself into jazz, leading his own ensembles and ║ │
│ ║ participating in various sessions and informal gigs. In 1981 he joined ║ │
│ ║ Soft Heap after pianist Alan Gowen suddenly died of leukaemia, and was ║ │
│ ║ instrumental in converting the band to the virtues of total ║ │
│ ║ improvisation. Since then, Hewins has pursued a varied career as ║ │
│ ║ producer, Midi consultant, session musician and collaborator with a ║ │
│ ║ wide range of artists in all possible genres. Most unique in this ║ │
│ ║ recording is Mark Hewins' inspired use of Midi guitar technology, ║ │
│ ║ which manages to remain organic while pushing the sonic envelope. ║ │
│ ║ Elton notes that Mark's guitar playing has enabled him to emphasize ║ │
│ ║ the more lyrical side of his playing. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ Both Elton and Mark have worked extensively in duos before. In 1988, ║ │
│ ║ Elton released a whole tape of duos recorded with musicians such as ║ │
│ ║ Keith Tippett, Howard Riley and Marcio Mattos (it also included his ║ │
│ ║ first duo recording with Mark), and more recently a full set with ║ │
│ ║ fellow saxophonist Paul Dunmall. Among Mark's most notable duo ║ │
│ ║ collaborations were ones with pianist Steve Miller (undocumented as ║ │
│ ║ yet) and Hugh Hopper (the pair released a CD entitled Adreamor). As ║ │
│ ║ for the Dean-Hewins duo, it remains sporadically active; it was ║ │
│ ║ recently reactivated for a London club date in late April 2001, and ║ │
│ ║ there are plans for other performances and tours following the CD's ║ │
│ ║ release. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ "Bar Torque" is a uniquely captivating document of two musicians ║ │
│ ║ spontaneously exchanging ideas and emotions in a spirit of total ║ │
│ ║ generosity towards each other and the listener. A CD that will ║ │
│ ║ surprise and delight the many fans of Elton Dean as well as introduce ║ │
│ ║ them to Mark Hewins, an injustly overlooked artist and catalyst on the ║ │
│ ║ British jazz and innovative music scene. ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
│ ║ ║ │
├┬║ ║┬┤
││╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝││
│└─────│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│────┘│
│ ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Track List: ║ │
│ ╚╗ ╔╝ │
│ ║ 01. Bar Torque 24:45 ║ │
│ ║ 02. Sylvan 13:26 ║ │
│ ║ 03. Merilyn's Cave 14:21 ║ │
├─┬──║ ───────── ║──┬─┤
│ │ ╔╝ Total Time: 52:32 min ╚╗ │ │
│ │ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │