Jazz breaking news: John Russell and Evan Parker celebrate 21 years of Mopomoso With UK Tour
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Mopomoso, the London-based free improv music promoter, celebrates its 21st anniversary with a UK tour in April that will see some of the UK’s top improvisers travelling all over the country.
Originally founded in the early-1990s by guitarist John Russell (pictured left) and multi- instrumentalist Chris Burn, Mopomoso (which stands for ‘MOdernism POstMOdernism SO what?’) hosts a longstanding monthly event at north London’s Vortex jazz club.
Now, for the first time, some of the key musicians associated with the concert series are taking to the road to bring their music to a wider, national audience. Each event will open with a set from local improvisers from the host town, which will then be followed by performances from: Alex Ward (clarinet) and Kay Grant (vocals); Alison Blunt (violin); Benedict Taylor (viola); David Leahy (bass); Pat Thomas on solo piano (replaced by Keith Tippett in Bristol); and the trio House Full of Floors, comprising Evan Parker (saxophones), John Russell (guitar) and John Edwards (bass).
According to Russell, the gigs will offer “a varied programme of contrasting approaches to free improvisation. By its very nature, no two concerts will be the same and we can safely guarantee you won’t have heard anything like this before!” The tour will be touching down in the following locations: Sound Kitchen, Birmingham (23 April); Safehouse, Brighton (24 April); Oxford Improvisers, Oxford (26 April); Colston Hall, Bristol (27 April); Notes & Sounds, Sheffield (28 April); A Better Noise, Newcastle (29 April); and Tubers Music, Manchester (30 April).
– Daniel Spicer