EVAN Parker has played to a crowd of 17,000 people. wasn't in Britain. Here his totally improvised, often solo, saxophone playing is usually enjoyed in small rooms. Now, however, the isolation of improvised music and jazz, from which it sprang. is showing signs of crumbling. despite the tight hold highly commercial music has over our listening habits and chances.
When Max Roach spoke Socialist Challenge year, he stressed the freedom jazz music gives its performers. That freedom, based centrality of improvisation to the music, has steadily increased as the music evolved.
This week John Surman familiar and the inspirathe work.' The response from the audience also inspires performers, especially the solo artist, which is how he usually pertorms.
*I think an audience is more sympathetic soloist because it is clear that you are talking to them, not just to the other MUSCLETS At Bracknell, Parker playing for the first WES time to the main than recital room. TAINCE I stopped early to see the response. When it was so warm I wanted 5,800 peopit came to the festival over Currently in the Mitous Virouslav Group, he has long enjoyed a reputation as one of Britain's great free musicians. A virtuoso on the baritone sax, he has also expanded the soprano sax and -Dass clarinet. that is so special about im provised music. It makes real Max Roach's asserthat *jazz was an the dignities faced by people Now people all over the world.
The Southampton Musicians' Collective hits the nail on the head, when it says free music liberates the European jazz musi cian from the role of com petent but general? uninspired imitator of the American style. One need only listen to an international group im provisors to see how Euro pean, Japanese. South Africans and Americans black and white interact. And they each bring their own influences *One important aspect of the Miroslay Group, adds John Surman, is that group are Europeans. are able to draw on a lot o folk songs. I think this i emerging as a greater in Live In short, -ALE the music to free its musicans, has finally freed an international assembly create. It is no longer creaca i America олу то he copied abroad. "But"', says burman, tink tre music goes in so many areas 1 still think it is best heard live.
One reason audiences for free music are small in Britain is lack of exposure to it. Having abandoned traditional melody and settime ka-chunk, ka-chunk myums one music lance getting used to.
ACTICAT Donald Ayler has offered this observation. One wat not to listen is to focus on