21 December 2008

Lol Coxhill-soprano saxophone improvisations(coxhill-shock lp 33)1990



Here's the first of a series of posts ripped from the collection of my old friend Iain,someone with whom Ive shared many journeys of musical discovery over the years..who also happens to be a self confessed lurker, he states that after having downloaded so many rarities over the past year ..he'd like to give a little back and share some of his own.
English improvising saxophonist Lol Coxhill is a much loved favourite..

Lol coxhill , one of Europe's greatest jazz men/free improvisers is probably unjustly remembered more by progressive rock fans ,for his association with the so called canterbury scene,and the likes of Kevin Ayres, delivery and the Damned ,and for his bit part in Derek Jarman's film Caravaggio, than for being one of the greatest free improvisers alive.
Coxhill started out in the late forties playing bebop and Afro Cuban jazz, he was a contemporary of and frequent guest with the likes of Tubby Hayes and Joe Harriott.
He was also around in the mid 60's when the first signs of a completely free music scene first emerged in Britain..and he has performed and recorded with most of those pioneers ...SME, The Brotherhood of Breath,Company, Evan Parker,Paul Rutherford , Eddie Prevost and so on ..in seemingly endless permutations.
He has also recorded dozens of solo soprano saxophone sessions..and they are among the wonders of 20th century music.
Abstract expressionist painter william Dekooning's description of himself as a 'slipping glimpser'is what most immediately comes to my mind in describing Coxhill's solo improvisations...slippery they are often oddly loping in much the same way as say one of the more wayward improvisations of a Lee Konitz, or a Sonny Rollins.
theres a great deal of Sly humour present and Coxhill rarely resorts to histrionic cliches, his improvisations are quite kaleidoscopic in breadth, as a melodic improvisor he's simply peerless.. melodies spiraling out and unfurling seemingly effortlessly until its almost hallucinatory in intensity! not to mention the 'pastelate intervals'

No idea about the provenance of this record..it has all the hall marks of being a bootleg, but could just as easily have been released by Coxhill himself.
no track titles, no clearly labeled a or b sides..this isn't even mentioned in the discography under Coxhill's name on the European improvised music site.
links in mp3 and flac in the comments

enjoy!!
more Coxhill to follow in the next few weeks!
heres a link to Lol Coxhills Website 'a life in music'
http://www.lolcoxhill.com

11 comments:

Wallofsound said...

I've enjoyed Coxhill's lopsided humour since I was a student in the mid 1970s. When I was working on a late night radio programme he became part of a freewheeling pre-internet exploration of music which relied so much on who you met and what was available to hear. I hadn't come across this one, so it's like seeing an old friend after a long gap. Very new and very familiar all at the same time.

Thanks for sharing.

.... said...

test: ¬|\``\` -_ ` -

nice work sotise old bean many thankx / here is some small futher detail perhaps

http://efi.group.shef.ac.uk/labels/shock/sx007.html

IA MO YU KINg K"ENYT$NE

SOTISE said...

thanks kk..
cheers

Anonymous said...

LOL COXHILL - LID
Ictus LP, 011
side 1:
1. UNO
2. DUE
side 2:
3. TRE
4. CINQUE
5. QUATTRO
6. THE FROGS OF GABBIANO
LC - ss, bass marimba
Italy, july 1978
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zxywjnmzzjf

Anonymous said...

There is an almost complete discography of Lol Coxhill available called The Work Of Lol Coxhill - it is written by Barbara Schwarz and is available from Barbara -( bschwarz@mindless.com ) - it has a forward by Steve Beresford and is self published and a work of love and dedication to Lol and his music and a fine piece of work.
Mike Cooper
http://homepage.mac.com/cooparia

Anonymous said...

Many thanks from Hawaii.

rvd said...

whow and thank you. i never saw nor heard this one: whow again. but please note: contrary to your statement the record is mentioned in the coxhill discography on the european free improvisation sites. it is listed as "solo" (shock sx 007) being a live concert given at southwark cathedral in 1983. (follow: http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/ > lol coxhill > 1983)

thank you again
all the best
ralf

mike cooper said...

Lol will be here in Rome to play live in October - if you are passing through - ALI Gallery = 16th october...by the Coliseum.

SOTISE said...

Flac Pics
https://mega.co.nz/#!hcUVwRpL!GaPn5iv1bWrVi2yvsqxGqmD6aoY5g9SWrHjJMqHg_3M

Javier Roz said...

What a great surprise that this link still works! Thanks Sotise! I really enjoy Coxhill universe.

Paczkipipco said...

Sometimes those Mega links last forever and a day, but, alas, not quite this long. Sotise, you chose my favorite file host. If anyone is up for re-upping this, I'd appreciate it!