Mopomoso On Tour

"Improvising is important to me", says guitarist, John Russell, "because it is the closest I get to what music is."

We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Mopomoso co-founder John Russell to produce the first UK tour of Mopomoso.

MOPOMOSO stands for MOdernismPOstMOdernism SO what? and was founded in 1991 by guitarist John Russell and pianist, trumpeter and composer Chris Burn to promote improvised music and its relationship to other forms of contemporary music making Mopomoso has since then presented hundreds of concerts, special events and workshops.

The tour aims to both showcase the work of Mopomoso to a wider audience,and promote the ideas and artists in each city. A series of sets from some of Mopomoso's core players will be complemented with improvisers from each city. With a firm focus on free improvisation, musical references could range from jazz, rock, folk, classical, electronic, world and computer-generated music, representing the broad brush stroke spirit of inclusion embodied in the Mopomoso aesthetic.

About this tour, John Russell says:
“In its monthly series, which takes place at The Vortex - ‘London’s listening jazz club’, Mopomoso offers audiences the chance to hear some of the best music around, in an intimate and friendly setting. Programmed by myself, and now in its 21st year, this tour will recreate some of that ambience with a varied programme of contrasting approaches to free improvisation. By its very nature no two concerts will be the same and we can safely guarantee you won’t have heard anything like this before!”

http://www.mopomoso.com/

Core Line up:

• Kay Grant (vocals) and Alex Ward (clarinet)
• Alison Blunt Trio: Alison Blunt (violin), Benedict Taylor (viola), David Leahy (bass)
• Pat Thomas solo (piano/ keyboards) / Keith Tippett solo (piano) (Bristol only)
• House Full of Floors:  Evan Parker (saxophones), John Russell (guitar), John Edwards (bass)

Tour Details and Local Improvisers

Tues 23 April  8pm - Birmingham, Hare and Hounds B14 7JZ  £6 (£5 advance) soundkitchenuk

+ There is Hope Chris Mapp (bass and effects), Sam Wooster (trumpet)  and Mike Hurley (drums and keys). Formed for the 2012 Rosie Kay Dance Company production of the same name, this free improvisation trio ail play music inspired by the show's themes of religion, belief, and much more.  The performers will be in the midst of the Spring 2013 tour of the production.

Weds 24 April 7pm - Brighton, Friends Meeting House, BN1 1AF. £6 (£5 unwaged) safehousebrighton

+ Wild Card Quartet.  Formed from members of the safehouse on the  edge sessions, carefully curated by a stochastic algorithm run in close temporal proximity to the performance. Ron Caines (saxophones), Monty Oxymoron (piano), Alistair Strachan (brass and electronic worlds) and Z*qhygoem (various).

Fri 26 April 7.30pm - Oxford, The Newman Rooms, OX1 1DP. £12 (£9 concession) oxfordimprovisers.com

+ Oxford Improvisers. Established in 2001 Oxford Improvisers perform and promote free music in the Oxford area by both musicians living, studying and working in the area and visitors from across the globe. For this performance, members of the Oxford Improvisers will join Pat Thomas. 

Sat 27 April 7.30pm - Bristol, Colston Hall BS1 5AR  £8 colstonhall.org

+ Keith Tippet. For over thirty years Keith Tippett has been at the forefront of contemporary European jazz and new music – as a pianist, composer, bandleader, band member and musical educator

Sun 28 April 7:30pm - Sheffield Bar Abbey S7 1FS £5 listenear

+ Eun-Jung Kim (komungo), Mick Beck (basson and whistles), Charlie Collins (waterphone and percussion), John Jasnoch (ud). A unique collaboration in which bassoon legend Mick Beck teams up with long stablished international trio.

Mon 29 April 7:30pm - Newcastle Summerhill Pavilion, NE4 6EH £10 abetternoise

+ Posset (tapes and voice) and Mariam Rezaei (turntable). Posset is longtime Newcastle-based improvisor Joe Murray, who normally mixes found sounds by way of dictaphone, here teaming with occasional collaborator, turntablist Mariam Rezaei. Rezaei was seen recently performing as part of John Cage Centenary Celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall.

Tues 30 April 7.30pm Manchester St Margarets, Whalley Range, M16 8AE £5 (£4 unwaged) tubersmusic.wordpress.com

+ Matt Wand electronics, David Birchall guitar, Richard Harrison percussion. A new project featuring Matt Wand (Stockhausen & Walkman, Tony Oxley Trio), Richard Harrison (Spaceheads) and David Birchall (Stuckometer) exploring density, space, noise, texture and rhythm.