Derek Bailey was an English avant-garde guitarist and an important figure in the free improvisation movement. Bailey abandoned conventional performance techniques found in jazz, exploring atonality, noise, and whatever unusual sounds he could produce with the guitar. Much of his work was released on his own label Incus Records. In addition to solo work, Bailey collaborated frequently with other musicians and recorded with collectives such as Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Company.
The Spontaneous Music Ensemble (SME) was a loose collection of free improvising musicians, convened in 1965 by the now late South London-based jazz drummer/trumpeter John Stevens and alto and soprano saxophonist Trevor Watts. SME performances and recordings could range from Stevens–Watts duos to gatherings of more than a dozen players.
John William Stevens was an English drummer, and a founding member of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble.
Barry John Guy is an English composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of orchestras in the UK and Europe. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music under Buxton Orr, and later taught there.
Paul William Rutherford was an English free improvising trombonist.
The Bracknell Jazz Festival was a major showcase for British modern jazz in the 1980s. The festival was known for attracting a largish audience for free improvisation, modern jazz composition and all kinds of British modern jazz in general.
Iskra 1903 is the debut album by the group of the same name, featuring trombonist Paul Rutherford, guitarist Derek Bailey and bassist Barry Guy which was recorded at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1970 and in a studio in 1972 and first released as a double album on the Incus label then as a triple CD box set entitled Chapter One 1970-1972 on Emanem in 2000 with additional material.
A Doughnut in Both Hands is a live album by British vocalist Phil Minton. His first solo album, it was recorded during 1975–1982 at various locations, and was initially released on LP in 1981 by Rift Records. In 1998, Emanem Records reissued the album on CD with six extra tracks.
The Gentle Harm of the Bourgeoisie is a live solo trombone album by Paul Rutherford, his first release under his own name. It was recorded at Unity Theatre, London during 1974, and was initially released on LP in 1976 by Emanem Records. In 1986, Emanem reissued the album on LP, and, in 1997, the label reissued it on CD with an additional track.
The Ayes Have It is an album by saxophonist Evan Parker. Tracks 1–4 were recorded in a London studio during December 1983, and feature Parker with bassist Paul Rogers, and, in a rare recorded appearance, percussionist Jamie Muir. The remaining track was recorded live at the Angel and Crown pub in London on August 1, 1991, and features Parker, Rogers, trombonist Wolter Wierbos, and percussionist Mark Sanders. The album was released by Emanem Records in 2001.
Chicago 2002 is a live album by trombonist Paul Rutherford. It was recorded on April 26 and 27, 2002, at The Empty Bottle in Chicago, and was released later that year by Emanem Records. The album features an extended Rutherford solo followed by three tracks on which he is joined by saxophonists Lol Coxhill and Mats Gustafsson, trombonist Jeb Bishop, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, bassist Kent Kessler, and percussionist Kjell Nordeson.
Trombolenium: Solo Trombone Improvisations 1986–1995 is a live solo album by trombonist Paul Rutherford. It was recorded at various concerts in London and Noci, Italy, during 1986, 1992, 1993, and 1995, and was released in 2002 by Emanem Records.
In Backward Times is a live album by trombonist Paul Rutherford. Drawn from archival tapes, it was recorded in 1979, 1988, 2004, and 2007, in Milano, London, and Brussels, and was released in 2017 by Emanem Records. On track 1, Rutherford is accompanied by live electronics, while track 2 is a duet with bassist Paul Rogers. Track 3 is a solo performance, and track 4 is a trio setting featuring cellist Marcio Mattos and pianist Veryan Weston. The final track was recorded roughly three months before Rutherford's death, and documents his last public performance.
Listen: Double Bass Solos 1989 & 1999 is a live solo album by double bassist Paul Rogers. Three tracks were recorded on May 1, 1999, in Le Mans, France, while the remaining track was recorded on October 8, 1989, in London. The album was released in 2002 by Emanem Records.
Neuph: Compositions for Euphonium and Trombone is a solo album by trombonist and euphonium player Paul Rutherford. In its original version, released on LP by the Sweet Folk and Country label in 1978, it consisted of seven tracks that were recorded on January 30 and 31, 1978, at Mid Wales Sound Studios in Castle Caereinion, Wales, UK. In 2005, it was reissued on CD by Emanem Records with two additional tracks that were recorded live in April and June 1980 in Rome and Pisa, Italy. Most of the tracks involve overdubbing, and one track features a duet with a dog named Judy.
Solo in Berlin 1975 is a live solo trombone album by Paul Rutherford. Four tracks were recorded at the FMP Workshop Freie Musik at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin on March 31, 1975, while the remaining tracks were recorded at the FMP Total Music Meeting at Quartier Latin in Berlin on November 7 and 8, 1975. The album was released in 2007 by Emanem Records
Tetralogy is a two-CD live album by trombonist Paul Rutherford. Drawn from archival tapes, it was recorded in 1978, 1981, and 1982, in London and Pisa, and was released in 2009 by Emanem Records. The album presents Rutherford in a variety of contexts: two solos, one with electronics, and one without; a brass quartet that features trombonist George E. Lewis, French hornist Martin Mayes, and tubist Melvyn Poore; and a trio with bassist Paul Rogers and drummer Nigel Morris.
The First Full Turn is a live album by the free improvisation group known as RoTToR, featuring trombonist Paul Rutherford, vocalist Julie Tippett, pianist Keith Tippett, and bassist Paul Rogers. The bulk of the album, a long quartet track, was recorded on April 30, 1998, at Theatre P Scarron in Le Mans, France. A remaining solo trombone track was recorded on February 6, 1998, at St Giles Cripplegate in London. The album was released by Emanem Records later that year.
Rogues is a live album by trombonist Paul Rutherford and bassist Paul Rogers. Featuring two duets plus a solo for each musician, it was recorded on November 11, 1988, at the Cannonball, a pub in Birmingham, England, and was released in 1996 by Emanem Records.
Sequences 72 & 73 is an album by trombonist Paul Rutherford and the group known as Iskra 1912. It was recorded during 1972–1974 in London, and was released in 1997 by Emanem Records. The album features studio recordings of two ensemble works composed and conducted by Rutherford, plus a live recording of a solo trombone piece.
