PROJECTS WITH VERYAN WESTON (AND OTHERS)
CROSSINGS - 2020
An Arts council grant helped Veryan, Hannah and drummer Mark Sanders work together on Crossings - groove filled compositions by Veryan that push at the boundaries of rhythm using cross rhythmic and pentatonic patterns, some of which can be found on his website HERE.
Crossings are studies in time and connection.
Keyboards, Compositions - Veryan Weston,
Drums – Mark Sanders
Cello, Voice – Hannah Marshall
Engineer – Alex Bonney
Design – Wes Richardson
Photography By – Alex Bonney, Veryan Weston
Producer – Nick Dart
Text - John Gibbons
DIALOGUES WITH STRINGS- 2017
In 2017 The long term collaboration of Veryan and pioneering saxophonist Trevor Watts invited string players into their musical partnership in the forms of Peter Knight, Alison Blunt and Hannah Marshall. Both Alison and Hannah also performed several concerts in Europe and UK with Trevor and Veryan, before a concert and recording released by Fundacja Słuchaj and a DVD of a film made by Mark French of their performance at Cafe Oto. The Duo of 'Dialogues' can be found on Emanem records HERE and on Hi4Head records HERE.
TUNING OUT - 2014
In 2014 Jon Rose, Veryan Weston and Hannah Marshall undertook series of concerts around the UK, inviting a listening public to visit some wonderful and unusual instruments & to re-imagine the nature of pitch relationships. The music explored the lesser chartered areas of microtones, unequal temperaments and unusual instrumental tunings, making use of some of the UK’s many underused tracker - action pipe organs, and used re-configured and re-tuned string Instruments.
Over several concerts in diverse areas of the country from Liverpool to London, Newcastle to Brighton, audiences took part in a rich sonic experiment, and had the chance to hear extraordinary instruments being played in a way that enabled new tunings, opened a world for new harmonies and colours that have, until now, remained locked away un-played.
Veryan Weston - long term explorer of underused and ancient instruments and Jon Rose – re-builder and re-thinker of the instrumental properties of the Violin, have been collaborating for many years creating recordings and concerts that re-invent possibilities of how instruments can sound, and who use altered tunings as a primary avenue for improvisation. For this project they invited cellist Hannah Marshall - whose album 'Tulse Hill' explores shifting de-tuned open string patterns, to join them.
A selection of the concerts were used on this record released by Emanem in 2014 - reviews can be found HERE.
Tuning Out was made possible by a touring grant from Sound and Music.
HASTE- 2011
Haste was a trio including Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock with Hannah & Veryan.
They started by playing Steve Lacy tunes together, as a platform for improvising.
The 1st recording 'Haste' is of a concert at Barcelona festival Hurta Cordel in 2011, which was released by Emanem and has garnered some very positive reviews over the years.
"Together, these three musicians have created an ingenious document where past and present collide revealing a glimpse what might be in a not-so-imaginary future."
- Raul de Gama Rose
"The overall effect is eery, presenting a sonic universe full of surprises and possibilities, of sensitive enthusiasm and hesitating joy, and at times of sad acceptance or paralysing terror... Beautiful, challenging and rewarding music."
- Stef Gijssels of The Free Jazz Collective
"Their trio work feels masterful, with no hesitation or moments of uncertainty. All three players are charged, resolute, and bring a wealth of ideas and skill to the music, with the result a resoundingly superb album."
- Phil Zampino - The Squids Ear.
The 2nd recording - 'A Broad Margin' can be found as part of Cafe Oto's online collection 'Otoroku Downloads'.
It was a recording of another live performance, this time at Cafe Oto some time later than the first record, and is described as "At once expansive and fleeting, the trio interweave and interject each other at a dizzying pace, with Weston matched at every turn by the two younger players".
SOL 5 & 6 - 2007 - 2011
SOL 5 & 6 were 2 groups initiated by Veryan and Acoustic Bass Guitarist Luc Ex (formerly of The Ex).
The first version of the group included Clarinettist/vocalist Isabelle Duthoit. Both versions of this group worked together and toured extensively around Europe and Brazil between 2007-2011. The music comprised tightly rehearsed compositions (of Veryans and Luc's) with a strong punky rhythmic sensibility, and also included renditions of songs by Charles Ives, Burt Bacharach and Erik Satie, as well as many open sections of free improvisation.
The band on this recording is: Mandy Drummond - viola/voice, Hannah Marshall - cello/voice, Ingrid Laubrock -saxophone/voice, Tony Buck - drums/percussion, Veryan Weston -piano/voice & Luc Ex- ac. bass.
Recorded live at the Bimhuis Amsterdam in the spring of 2009. Mixed and mastered by the Zlaya Hadzich.
This record It represents a powerful and exhilarating live performance.
Released by Rednote in 2009. It can be found here.
TRIO OF UNCERTAINTY - 2007
From sleeve notes
"...what is truly special about it is the spontaneity with which their imaginations, held back by no technical limitations, coalesce and separate, interweave and interject, with the musical momentum constantly thrown from one player to another to produce 'chamber music' in the truest and most contemporary sense" RICHARD BARRETT (2007)
There have been many reviews of this recording that can be found here
It represents a truly memorable day playing with two amazing players in an amazing room with an amazing engineer. Digital studio recordings made in Pinewood, near London by Steve Lowe