Jump to content

Live Improvisations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Live Improvisations
Live album by
Released1992 (1992)[a]
RecordedMay 1990
VenueLondon, Sheffield, Leeds Bridge End
GenreExperimental music, free improvisation
Length52:48
LabelWoof (UK)
Megaphone (US)
ProducerFred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson
Fred Frith chronology
Dropera
(1991)
Live Improvisations
(1992)
Helter Skelter
(1992)

Live Improvisations is a 1992[a] collaborative live album of improvised music by English experimental musicians Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson.[7] It was recorded in May 1990 in England and was released on Woof Records in the United Kingdom and Megaphone Records in the United States.[5]

Background

[edit]

Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson's first performance together was when they supplied music for a dance recital in 1968 while they were students at Cambridge University. They had never played together before and Frith said "[Tim] had an alto sax, and I had my violin, and we just improvised this ghastly screaming noise for about half an hour."[8] Surprised by their performance, and to keep the momentum going, Frith and Hodgkinson formed a band, which went on to become the English avant-rock group Henry Cow.[8]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]

Writing in a review at AllMusic, Rick Anderson described the improvisations of Frith and Hodgkinson on this album as "cacophonic", but added that "none of it is ugly; in fact, much of it is downright lovely".[7] Anderson rated the album as "[h]ighly recommended".[7]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are untitled, composed by Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson, and performed in England.

Track Venue Date Length
1. Club Integral, Conway Hall, London 12 May 1990 33:20
2. Purcell Room, London 13 May 1990 2:08
3. Purcell Room, London 13 May 1990 1:17
4. Purcell Room, London 13 May 1990 3:13
5. George IV, Infirmary Road, Sheffield 10 May 1990 8:23
6. Termite Club, The Adelphi, Leeds Bridge End 11 May 1990 4:27

Source: Discogs,[5] Fred Frith discography.[2]

Personnel

[edit]

Source: Discogs,[5] Fred Frith discography.[2]

Recording notes

[edit]

All tracks recorded by Michael Gerzon.

  • Track 1 recorded on a 4-track
  • Tracks 2, 3 and 4 recorded on a DAT
  • Tracks 5 and 6 recorded on a Sony Professional

Source: Discogs.[5]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b This album appears to have been released in 1992,[1][2][3] even though the liner notes say "All music copyright Hodgkinson/Frith 1990",[4] and several sources list the release date as 1990.[5][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hodgkinson, Tim. "Discography". Tim Hodgkinson homepage. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Ramond, Michel; Roussel, Patrice; Vuilleumier, Stephane. "Discography of Fred Frith". New York Downtown Scene and Other Miscellaneous Discographies. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  3. ^ C. Rizzi (1998). Enciclopedia della musica rock. 2. 1970 – 1979. Giunti Editore. p. 266. ISBN 978-88-09-21523-8.
  4. ^ Frith, Fred; Hodgkinson, Tim (1992). Live Improvisations (vinyl). London: Woof.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Live Improvisations". Discogs. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Live Improvisations". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Anderson, Rick. Live Improvisations at AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Fred Frith interview". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 15 February 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2013.