Alexander Hawkins

I'm not really familiar with Iyer's stuff as a leader, but I do really enjoy him in tandem with Craig Taborn in Roscoe Mitchell's 'Note Factory'. He's also pretty spectacular IMHO in Wadada Leo Smith's 'Golden Quartet' - check out the awesome DVD of a performance at the Banlieues Bleues festival for some evidence of this... To cross reference another thread somewhere, there's a nice - really quite short - segment on this week's BBC Radio 3 'Jazz Line-Up' where he's interviewed by Kevin LeGendre - a nice conversation for sure, and well worth the listen!

That's an interesting idea - I'd certainly be interested in such a station! Having said that, I guess that Radio 3 has a large-ish listenership comparative to the 'specialist' BBC stations, so I suppose there's some merit in that...dunno...specialist station is an intriguing idea though...

I'm really glad to see these again though, even if they are repeats...John Gilmore on that Blakey session is UNbelievable! Agree, it would be nice to see some film being made of stuff nowadays, although I do believe that they do a fantastic job on the radio. Listened earlier to the great Vijay Iyer interview from yesterday's Jazz Line-Up, and I invariably enjoy Jazz on 3 and Jazz Record Requests!

Some reviews for the curious... Here is a nice All About Jazz write-up of our gig with Joe McPhee last month. Here is a brief mention in the Independent on Sunday... And here is a nice blog post mentioning the album...

Hi all, Just upping this as a final plug for Londoners (or those 'in and around' London!)...do come along to the Vortex on Tuesday evening: Shabaka Hutchings (tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet), Dominic Lash (double bass), Mark Sanders (drums). Many of you will already know Mark's playing...but for those not familiar with Shabaka or Dom - they're really something, so come and check them out! Do come and say hello if you make it along! Alex

Hi Ed - oops, sorry - still not sorted that. Have sent you a PM!

I must check out that Ovary Lodge recording!

Not sure it's obscure as some, but I think the Max Roach Trio 'featuring the Legendary Hasaan' is pretty wonderful.

Just 'upping' this...a couple of months back, the BBC asked me to do a session with my Ensemble for their 'Jazz on 3' show...I'm really delighted with how it came out, and the show will be broadcast in February. Anyhow, even though it hasn't gone out yet, by virtue of it having been recorded this year, I'm flattered to say that 'Jazz on 3' included it in their 'best sessions of 2009' programme, available to 'listen again' here. There's some fun stuff throughout the show; and we're on last - it's a new tune of mine called 'Elmoic'.

Just seen on YouTube - here's a brief clip fom our gig with JoMcphee. At the risk of stating the obvious, Joe was incredible, and an extremely nice guy to boot!

Just 'upping' this for a last minute plug...Joe McPhee/John Edwards/Steve Noble/yours truly - tonight at Dalston's Cafe Oto. Do say hi if you make it along!

In case anyone's interested, I now have some copies of the CD which I can sell (they're of course also available through the Bo'Weavil website, linked above). No vinyl as yet, but I gather it should be around soon!

Hi all, Just a plug for a couple of gigs coming up, for anyone in/around London! Next Wednesday, December 9th - it's the 'Somedectet' - a collective big(-gish) band featuring some exciting young players from the London scene - Nick Malcolm and Alex Bonney on trumpets; Gail Brand on trombone; Mark Hanslip, Shabaka Hutchings, Adrian Northover, and Alex Ward on reeds; Alison Blunt, violin; Hannah Marshall, 'cello; yours truly, piano; Olie Brice and Dominic Lash, double basses; and Javier Carmona, drums. This one is at 'The Others' in Stoke Newington. Then on Friday, one I'm really excited about - Decoy (myself on Hammond B3, Steve Noble on drums, and John Edwards, double bass) with Joe McPhee at Dalston's Cafe Oto. This is a two-day residency for Joe: on the second night, he plays with N.E.W. (Noble, Edwards, and Alex Ward, this time on guitar). And at the start of January, a second performance for the quartet of Shabaka Hutchings (tenor and bass clarinet); myself; Dominic Lash (double bass); and drum master Mark Sanders...this one's at the Vortex... Hope to see you out and about! Alex p.s. mentioned this under the 'new releases', but I now have some copies of the Decoy trio record for sale, if anyone's interested...

Wow - thanks for the kind feedback! The instrument didn't quite catch fire...but we had literally just showed at the studio for the first session (a beautiful studio in West London, where they've got the desk Bob Marley made Exodus on, apparently!), when there was a loud bang, and something melted inside the instrument...the technician spent most of the day trying to fix the instrument, without any joy. Second time around though - around three weeks later, IIRC - and we were in business! No longer a church organist (not for 10+ years)......although the grounding did come in very useful with understanding blending harmonics, using overtones, etc., as well as with the touch of the instrument... Thanks for listening though. Do say hi at the McPhee gig next week!

Thank you for this - really kind! I haven't seen Jazzwise yet, so thank you! That is certainly very kind of those reviewers to mention me. Please come and say hi at the McPhee gig...really looking forward to that one...certainly a privilege to get to play with those three guys!

Cheers Clifford! To clarify - yes, you've got it: V.1 is a CD, V.2 is vinyl. I *think* both will be available as a download, however, but need to check!

I *think* it will be available as an MP3 as well...I'll find out! They certainly have other vinyl releases available for download, so that would be my guess!

Just posting some news of two new releases I'm on... This is maybe particularly apt for the board, because it's my debut playing Hammond Organ - a session recorded in London on a beautiful C3. The band is Decoy - featuring Steve Noble on drums, and John Edwards on bass. First session for the record was a bit of a write-off...the instrument blew up before we got a note down ...but the second session was really fruitful, and in the end, Bo'Weavil have decided to issue two albums...so there's a CD - 'Volume 1: Spirit', and 'Volume 2: The Deep' is on very limited edition vinyl. As I say, the label is the fantastic Bo'Weavil Recordings. Here is the relevant page of their site...there are also some sound samples there somewhere! We launch the record on London at the start of December, with Joe McPhee as special guest...the record is available already for preorder from the label at the link above...I will also have a very few copies myself for sale in a few days' time...

I hadn't realised Mankunku had died...knew he wasn't at all well...a great player. Ya'Khal Inkomo is a beautiful record, and a great tune...I recently recorded it with Ntshuks Bonga's Qwati project...check out some samples here if anyone's interested (scroll down the playlist)...It also features Claude Deppa, who IIRC is on the Mankunku's 'Abantwana Be Africa'... Wow, that is sad though about Mankunku.

Allen - certainly no insult intended on my part - apologies if it came over that way. Just trying to spell our another possible viewpoint! Re the Barry Guy New Orchestra - I think it's on Intakt. Also, are you familiar with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra stuff? Some wonderful big band writing there too, with an awesome lineup, including Evan. Then there's all his playing with the Brotherhood, etc... Of course for some more compositional stuff in yet another direction, there are the two recent ECMs with the Parker/Roscoe Mitchell large-ish group. I actually heard him play Evidence mid-set not too long ago. He also occasionally plays Lacy tunes, I believe, although I haven't heard that (would love to though!). Allen - certainly no insult intended on my part - apologies if it came over that way. Just trying to spell our another possible viewpoint! Re the Barry Guy New Orchestra - I think it's on Intakt. Also, are you familiar with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra stuff? Some wonderful big band writing there too, with an awesome lineup, including Evan. Then there's all his playing with the Brotherhood, etc... Of course for some more compositional stuff in yet another direction, there are the two recent ECMs with the Parker/Roscoe Mitchell large-ish group. I actually heard him play Evidence mid-set not too long ago. He also occasionally plays Lacy tunes, I believe, although I haven't heard that (would love to though!).

Well, to nit-pick, 'random'/'automatic' is a rather awkward (come-nonsensical?) pairing. And nor does no pre-planning necessarily equate to/lead to randomness or automation. FWIW, my perspective - I have of course spent hours listening to him; precious few, but at least some of them from the piano chair in his bands, so I guess I have at least some insight on how the music does in fact unfold. Well, association of musical phrases is only one - the most obvious - of the ways to do it. There are obviously a huge number of other organising devices which can be in play. I'm not sure what you're actual argument about bop is, but I for one am slightly confused about this idea of randomness with a road map... That's presumably only a personal preference, that distinction, though? I don't want to be argumentative for the sake of it, but I do feel your account verges on the caricature at the moment and sells what Parker does waaaaay short. My personal opinion (although one shared by many!) is that he's a genius...but this notwithstanding, at the very least, he is sui generis (restructuralist, if you will) to the extent that I don't believe he can usefully be lumped in with your imagined concept of 'free jazz'. Of course that you don't enjoy him for more than a couple of minutes is something we can't argue with...but I think your methodological claims about what's going on with the music don't really represent how it's done in all but the most facile instances.

In what sense does his music use random forms? Also, much as with Braxton's music, I don't think it's useful to talk of Evan's music as a single entity...there are the solo things, the duos, trios, quartets (etc.), the Electro-Acoustic Ensemble stuff, and I wouldn't be surprised if he approached each context differently 'methodologically'.

Arrived in double-quick time as ever - thank you! Listening to the Charles Tyler now

Thank you for that - I'm really flattered No broadcast for the BBC session yet, but it's shaping up to be January, we think...I've been listening to the takes today actually...very excited by it. Really quite different versions of the tunes from the album, plus some new things I'm really enthused by...will let people know here when we do have a broadcast date! Live dates - nothing in the book yet...I'm working on perhaps a tour for next year...it can be quite a mission to get 6 busy guys together for rehearsals etc., so I like to get a few at a time...but I'm really keen to get it together ASAP...like I say, I'm excited by the new material, so would like to gig it some more ASAP! Will of course report back when I have some dates in the book...

Do! It's his regular working trio (John Edwards and Tony Marsh) with Ray Warleigh guesting...Ray is sounding totally beautiful these days, on flute and alto...his recent duo album with Tony Marsh on Evan's Psi label is really wonderful IMHO.