IMPROVISE @ Glad Cafe

The Grew Quartet
Stephen Grew: piano
Matt Robinson: clarinets
Seth Bennett: bass
Phillip Marks: percussion
The Grew Quartet are thoroughly spontaneous and range through many moods and influences, from cool, reflective lyricism to an intensity not dissimilar to a high velocity Jimmy Giuffre/Paul Bley ensemble through to more playful, jazz influenced melodic and rhythmic areas, taking in the atomistic, pinpoint energy of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble of the 1970’s.

Grew Quartet was formed in 2009 when Stephen Grew and Phillip Marks connected with clarinettist Matt Robinson and bassist Max Sterling. A short burst of recording and the occasional gig followed, the results coming out in October 2013 as “world line”.

Seth Bennett joined on bass at the beginning of 2013. More gigs and recording followed and the album “invisible hand” has just been released in October 2013


Stu Brown: drums
Catriona McKay: harp 
Jer Reid: guitar
The 2nd gig for this new trio. All three players are busy with all kinds of things. That's what interesting - people who do lots of jazz, folk, improv, stuff with dancers etc finding how they fit together. In real time.
Stu Catriona and Jer met at a practice of the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra and decided playing together was a good idea! Stu and Jer played together a wee bit together YEARS ago - they can't agree on where or when. Made an impression.

The trio's first gig was at Sharmanka gallery.

Alistair Quietsch
Does all kinds of thing with music and visual art. Often with bass, with loops, with home made horns, with singing. He's on it. A mix between looping minimalist compositions and experimental found sound.

Winter Cycle Redux

Thanks to circumstances beyond my control - mainly to do with having a family and not having been grown in a jar from a mixture of dancer's sweat and playwright's blood as I was told growing up - I am going to miss The Winter Cycle Redux. This makes me sick at heart - at least I get to see Tut Vu Vu tonight, before I get on the train down south - so I am going to encourage everyone in Glasgow to get to the Old Hairdressers on Friday 21st December. It won't be the end of the world if you don't, but...

Two years ago - remember the Christmas with all the ice and the cold and I got stuck in Scotland because the snows surrounded the Vile ancestral mansion - Jer Reid performed The Winter Cycle. Thirty one days of duets, every day at midday. Jer's no slouch on the guitar, but his imagination goes beyond the expected tropes of rocking out with his mates.

Between improvised action with RM Hubbert, Luke Sutherland and members of Tattie Toes, Jer called in dancers and visual artists. Jenny Soep told a charming story of festive cheer using pen and ink and projection, Christine Devaney made me a cup of tea and across the month, The Winter Cycle challenged the limited ideas of what musical improvisation could be. 

I think there's the beauty of Jer Reid, right there. How often does an artist make me realise how limited improvisation can be?

He has pulled together a few old allies to remember the shows - and hopefully sell a few CDs of the original gigs. And apart from Mr Reid himself, he has three absolute heroes of mine on the bill. Not that the other guests aren't great - I have a bias towards dancers and guys who can get hip audiences to join in during the chorus.

I last saw Rosalind Masson mixing it up with Jack Webb in The Arches. Masson is an improvisor and choreographer - she has worked with Reid before, most notably upstairs in Tramway during one of their festivals for Young People. In 2011, she shared a bill with The Ultimate Dancer with a short work castigating the oil companies for their lack of environmental concern. She's lively, enthusiastic and always ready to interpret Reid's guitar into precise movement.

Christine Devaney is the genius behind Curious Seed. She is one of Scotland's most vital choreographers, knows what dance theatre means and can use it to devastate and enchant. She is also big on the improvisations - she recently acted as a mentor to the Scottish companies in Breakin' Conventions' Open Art Surgery. I remember her Winter Cycle duet as being the most playful and warmest.

Wounded Knee: I love his mix of folk and soul. He is another artist, like Reid, who straddles the boundaries of rock'n'roll and performance art. I know that they'll both be asking me what I mean by this, so I'll be rushing on.

And as for Jer Reid himself... well, he's been on the Vile Arts Radio Hour often enough now. I am nominating him for the title of "most eclectic musical knowledge master in Glasgow."

Full Line Up
Jer Reid/ Rosalind Masson/ Monica de Ioanni/ Stevie Jones (Rude Pravo, Alasdair Roberts etc)
Fritz Welch & Rafe Fitzpatrick (Tattie Toes, Alasdair Roberts)
Wounded Knee & Christine Devaney (Curious Seed)
Cheer & Jer Reid

Vile Magic... (And Eric's Cafe...)

This is a public apology to the always wonderful Niall Morris. As head of Subcity Radio, he has introduced a smooth new logo, made the first foray across to Edinburgh (broadcasting On The Fringe) and add an extra forty minutes to the end of this episode of The Vile Arts Radio Hour.

This apology is followed by a second apology to Eric Karoulla. Eric's debut interview, with the lovely Peter McMaster, is repeatedly interrupted by Vile, who was supposed to be off looking after his next guest, Vanessa Coffey. Before Eric even got to start the interview, Vile had bumped it back later in the programme, so he could talk to Nicholas Bone, who is the director of Magnetic North's Sex and God.

Perhaps I could apologise to Mr Bone for getting the name of the show wrong at one point. And to Ms Coffey for not recognising her from the show I had seen her in a week ago, the Promethean Fire Into Song.

While I might wish to apologise to all listeners for my tone of voice and persistant lack of research, I am specifically apologising for the length of this episode. But it is worth a complete listening. There's some really creative swearing on the Azaelia Bank's tune, and the exclusive track from Lou Prendergast is a rare chance to hear some reggae on the hour.

If I had done some research, I might not have been so surprised at the amount of stuff my dear friend Jer Reid is up to this week. Another apology...

And sneaked away at the end is a chat with Johnny McKnight and Julie Brown. The full version of this interview will appear on our Soundcloud very soon (as soon as I find My Producer Harry). In the meantime, The Adventures of See-Thru Sam is touring Scotland.


Listen here!

VileArts Radio Hour: Episode 3 etc

Tomorrow's show: Episode III of the Vile Arts 2012 (Autumn Season) is pretty theatre heavy. We have the magical Magnetic North coming in for a chat about Sex and God, plus Vanessa Coffey who will be talking about the SMHFAF...

But do you want a guest to talk to?

I already have one! Peter McMaster has agreed to come in for a chat about his all-male performance based on Wuthering Heights. He's performing next week at Arches Live.

I know Peter McMaster. He washed me once, when I was naked.

I'm not sure I want to picture that.

But what makes you want to talk to him? I mean, he does have a good track record and all... he has worked with Nic Green, and has an interest in environmentalism. But why is he the first guest for our new slot, Eric's Cafe?

Aye but his latest show examines what it is to be a man today and it intrigues me to know. It seems easy to define biologically, but when asked what a man is, different people will give you different answers. Apparently, his collaboration with Murray Wason, Chris Hall, Nick Anderson and Thom Scullion looks at the character of Heathcliff who basically disappears from the story for a while and then returns as 'a man'.

So - you identify with Heathcliff?

Actually, I don't know that much about him - I've only seen the film, and as far as I recall he is violent. But some people might identify with him. Do you identify with Heathcliff?

What, you mean a grumpy, over-sexed, hairy and vicious bumpkin, of uncertain racial heritage, a sense of intellectual inferiority and constantly misunderstood by sentimenatlists as a romantic hero?

...

Goes without saying.

Well, you're hairy and misunderstood...

Maybe I should bring 'Don't let me be misunderstood' by Nina Simone for you on Monday...

Okay. We'll start the show with that. We've got Jer Reid coming in for a chat at the end of the show...

we've got loads of people coming in for a chat!

He's going to be our exception then?

(music versus theatre)

Also, did you steal the inspiration to invite him from listening to the Black Sun Drum Korps?

Jer Reid is certainly our musical guest. He does have a bit of previous in the theatre world, though: he has worked with Curious Seed, the dance company... and he did this Winter Cycle, a series of duets that had actors, artists and musicians teaming up to rock against the cold.

Where do Magnetic North and Vanessa Coffey fit in though?

Hey, it's the show that's good everything! Masculinity, Sex, God, Improvisation, Mental Health...

What more could we want in life?