Improvised music has always been considered a thorn in the side of art and entertainment. If you play improvised music, you are basically sentencing yourself to an existence in the margins. By keeping silent about your presence, the mainstream press confirms the idea that what you are doing is irrelevant for a broader audience, and with a political system that regards experimental art with disdain and even hostility, and refuses to invest in what you’re doing, you’re basically isolated (in this way, this release may very well be an ode to the supporters of this type of music).
Isolated, but not dead. There remain some hubs, small organisations and gatherings of people that keep on supporting unconventional music, even if it is with modest means. Often, these organisations are truly DIY-endeavours, getting their support mostly from loyal fans, who will attend shows, buy releases and help spread the word. A few Belgian places and organisations that need to be mentioned, and are often well-known abroad as well, are De Singer (Rijkevorsel), Parazzar (Bruges) and Sound In Motion (Antwerp). All of them are minor players compared to the huge arts centres, but they play a vital role in the visibility of improvised music. Another special such place, situated in Holland, but only a few hundred meters from the Belgian border, is JazzBlazzt.
It is as homely as can get – basically a garage turned into a small concert venue – but at the same time a miraculous place, where many artists that have appeared on this label have performed. An Evening At JazzBlazzt brings back the duo of Dirk Serries and Benedict Taylor, who released their duo debut Puncture Cycle in 2019. That studio recording contained moments of restraint, but most of all it was a colourful meeting, with a physical, assertive kind of interplay full of rapid-fire dialogue and immense textural and temperamental dynamics.
The rawness is doubled for these live recordings. Not only because of the less professional recording, but because of the immediacy of the music and the crackling live energy that jumps out of the speakers (or your headphones). There is a turbulent spirit to this music, a kind of frenetic, nervous energy that never dissolves, not even during the quieter parts. Taylor’s viola in particular seems soaked in an inflammable veneer, as if he’s threatening to stick that bow right in your ear. The combination of instruments perhaps recalls a chamber music vibe, but they are truly on fire.
For their second set, the duo was joined by Martina Verhoeven on piano, which altered their approach. In his A Listener’s Guide To Free Improvisation, perhaps the only book to successfully explain the charm of free improvisation to listeners that were not already converts, John Corbett offers an apt description of the difference between a duo and a trio improvising: “The third player adds exponentially to the possibilities, breaking up the linear flow and contributing layers of complexity. Duets are addition; trios are trigonometry (…) There’s always some circling back and digging in. Rather than being factional, with players choosing sides, it tends to promote a kind of intimacy and intensity.”
These words can be perfectly adapted to this interaction, as Verhoeven’s playing does not conventionally add or mimic the path of her partners, but contributes and contrasts with slow, dark clusters and eerie inside piano actions. The result is a three-way discussion that gives up some of its tight focus for a broader palette with constantly modulating interacting strategies that somehow manage to keep the intensity of the first set intact. This is a vital document, not only because of the way in which these improvisers interact, but because you can actually feel the importance of a stimulating environment. As such, it is not just an artistic highlight for the musicians, but also for the organiser, who provided the stage and the ideal environment for the music to thrive.
Guy Peters 2019
