14 February 2013

ELTON DEAN QUINTET - 1995



Hey Miloo, I hadn’t even  bothered to transfer this from cassette to disc because the piano and bass are rather on the quiet side (a bad side-effect of sitting at the front and missing out on the PA).  However, listening to it now it’s not so bad.  Paul Dunmall plays awesomely but lays out on the lovely Dean tune ‘First in the wagon’ where we can hear Elton play as beautifully as only Elton can (or could, I should say).  How sad it is that he has left us, and of course the same with the irreplaceable Tony Levin.  These people came and played for us and opened our minds and our hearts.  So here is a bit more of their legacy to enjoy.

Anyone who has not heard this group on ‘Silent Knowledge’ (Cuneiform 83) should certainly buy the cd to hear them in their full glory.  Also, Elton made a really super duo album with the stupendous Sophia Domancich called ‘Avant ‘ (Hux 063) which should not be missed.

Elton Dean, alto sax, saxello
Paul Dunmall, tenor sax
Sophia Domancich, piano
Paul Rogers, bass
Tony Levin, drums

1. Gualchos (Dean)  37:38
2. Improvisation 1 27:32
3. First in the wagon (Dean) 13:48
4. Improvisation 2 11:00

TT.  90 mins 

Vortex, London.  28th May 1995

Live cassette recording.
(Piano and bass a bit quiet)

Buy 'Silent Knowledge'(Cuneiform, Rune`83) by this group.

Photo by Andrew Putler 

9 comments:

Andy said...

FLAC

Rapidshare

http://rapidshare.com/files/2883268135/EDQ.rar

Mega

https://mega.co.nz/#!1BMhhZQR!Y1Wm6hb6yxDiZ82uCEARHBIZ0_YROvoNnhxl_G9ki4Q

wightdj said...

Another nice set, appreciated!

Andy said...

Thanks for leaving a comment.

Wallofsound said...

I enjoy it when these guys play with Sophia Domancich. Thanks for all the joy you preserved.

softnucleus said...

I can't believe! I really can't believe! "Silent Knowledge" is in my opinion one of the best records of ever. When I read the request about this really all star quintet I thought: Milo02, don't ask too much to Andy and... to life! But great Andy is still amazing us! "These people came and played for us and opened our minds and our hearts". What a wonderful sentence, Andy. It's what really happened to me when I was a young boy, in 1972, when at the radio I listened for the first time Elton playing with Soft Machine. The recording is very good as all your recordings, Andy (don't mind about quite piano and bass), the wonderful music a gift of God! So, Milo02 many thanks for your request, mockrát děkuji, and a million of thanks, Andy, for posting this gem.
I'm particularly glad, Andy, that you like "Avant" (recorded live in Gorizia, Italy, at Auditorium di Via Roma, on Saturday April 13th, 2002). If you would like to know why I am particularly glad I can tell it privately to you (via e-mail). Sorry guys to have been so long, but this post is really a big treat for me!

Andy said...

@ softnucleus.

You've made my day! Thanks.

miloo2 said...

Andy, when I found this couple of days ago, I was simply blown away - not knowing how to thank you enough! I was almost not believing it can exist. Alternative version of full "Silent Knowledge" album, a kind of rehearsal I think, as the album itself was recorded just 4 days later. I can simply sign up your sentence, cited above by softnucleus. It happened to my in early 90's (when I was still young boy) - I heard Soft Machine's Fourth & Fifth, borrowed from new Prague second hand with huge number of vinyls, imported from Germany. First time, I thought it's unlistenable freejazz. But more experienced friend told me "Give it another try, it's really worth". So I tried and gradually get in. Subsequently I was looking for more recent music by Hugh and Elton, and found "Silent Knowledge" CD, just out on Cuneiform. It was shock! I remember sitting in the room, listening repeatedly and thinking "what the hell is happening here!". It took me much longer than with Softs, to get inside, to catch structure of monumental "Gualchos", and sheer intensity and interaction of two improvised tracks. Something very similiar happened a bit later with Ninsense "Oh!For The Edge" and EDQ "Boundaries", luckily found again in that same second hand. What a adventure! Each of those albums has its specific qualities for me, but this quintet was definitely 'initiatory' and is certainly most energetic. And it is here too, in your intimate recording, these freely blowing and wildly swinging trios, duos and solos within quintet frame! Ever since capturing the album's magic I was dreaming about hearing more from this quintet. I got three beautiful trio albums of Sophia with Paul & Tony, Paul Rogers Quartet "Time of Brightness" on Rare Music from 1997 (aka the quintet minus Elton) and another stunning Andy's recording of Elton, two Pauls and Tony from 1997, released by DUNS Limited Edition in 2006 as tribute to departed Master. But "Silent Knowledge" quintet has sinmply some additional alchemy! So again Andy, my heartfelt thank you for all your work, and veritable words. And our dear colleague softnucleus, thank you for inspiring comments! Excuse my blown-out supply please, but it had to be out. Two final notes: There is Dean / Dunmall duo album "If Dubois Only Knew" on Blueprint label, recorded February 1995, which I see as straight extension of chatty duo, heard in "Gualchos" before final theme statement. Paul plays tenor, C Melody and soprano saxes on it. Today, I gave a proper listen to this quintet recording and I think I can improve it to get little more balanced ratio between saxes / drums and piano / bass. Will try to upload results soon. Ufff :-)

rintesh said...

Thanks for the share.

miloo2 said...

finally here is my treated version of this gem from Andy's fabulous archive. I did some eq and compression in order to get more balance between instrumemnts. Remarkable on this recording are slight differences to studio version - Silent Knowledge CD. Thanks again, Andy!

flac at ulozto.net