Just Not Cricket!
The Just Not Cricket! festival took place from 6 to 8 October 2011 at .HBC (former Haus Ungarn) in Berlin. On three consecutive days it presented a unique programme of concerts featuring some of the most influential musicians on the current British improvised music scene. Just Not Cricket! was curated by Antoine Prum in collaboration with British saxophonist Tony Bevan and Helma Schleif, long-time coordinator of the Total Music Meetings in Berlin, and marked the beginning of the shooting of the documentary film Taking the Dog for a Walk: Conversations with British Improvisers.
Audio excerpt
Credits
This box set of 4 heavyweight 180g LPs documents the highlights of the festival with its unique line-up of 16 musicians from 4 different generations of British improvisors.
Includes a 20-page booklet with photos, interviews and an essay by Wolfgang Seidel as well as the original festival programme with a text by Brian Morton.
Comes with a download code.
Recording Hrólfur Vagnsson, assisted by Martin Burike and Carsten Klopfer.
Mixing Hrólfur Vagnsson, Rupert Clervaux, Tony Bevan
Mastering Andreas “Lupo” Lubich, dubplates&mastering, Berlin
Produced by Antoine Prum and Tony Bevan for Ni-Vu-Ni-Connu Productions.
LP box cover image by Tara Darby & Ben Weaver.
Tom Arthurs trumpet
Steve Beresford piano, electronics
Tony Bevan soprano & bass saxophones
Matthew Bourne piano
Gail Brand trombone
Lol Coxhill soprano saxophone
Rhodri Davies harp, electric harp
John Edwards double bass
Shabaka Hutchings clarinet, tenor saxophone
Dominic Lash double bass
Phil Minton voice
Eddie Prévost drums, percussion
Orphy Robinson vibraphone
Mark Sanders drums
Alex Ward clarinet, guitar
Trevor Watts soprano & alto saxophones
Reviews
Deep Listening Weekend: Just Not Cricket!
Colin Green
Free Jazz Blog, July 2013
In Britain, there’s a history (“tradition” is possibly too strong) of improvisers gathering together for performances over a number of days, during which they play both solo and in a variety of ad hoc ensembles. The roots go back to Derek Bailey’s Company Weeks, which he began in 1977. He invited musicians from mainland Europe and the US to join local improvisers, usually with a few wildcards thrown in – those from the traditional end of the jazz spectrum, as well as classical performers – who were keen to experiment in what he called “non-idiomatic” improvisation. Bailey wound-up Company when he felt the format was getting too familiar. For many however, it has continued to provide a fertile environment, as reflected in these performances from Berlin.
Deep Listening Weekend: Just Not Cricket!
Martin Schray
Free Jazz Blog, July 2013
Saturday, May 25th in 2013 was a hard day for British football fans (for the Americans out there: when I talk about football it’s what you call “soccer”): Two German teams – Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – reached the Champions League final (which can be compared to the Super Bowl), both of them peppered with young players, but also with some older experienced hands. The first exclusively German final was ironically held in London’s Wembley Stadium which must have been a blow for the British fans considering the never-ending rivalry between British and German clubs, national teams and supporters, all the more because the British had to face an invasion of thousands of Germans. But invasions don’t have to be like that: For those Germans who like free improvised music the fact that the crème de la crème of British improvisers invaded Berlin to bring some of the finest music across the Channel was one of the concert highlights in 2011.
Moment’s Notice
Michael Rosenstein
Point of Departure, June 2013
It’s hard to say whether it’s ambitious or sheer madness to launch a new label by organizing a 3-day festival of British Free Improvised Music in Berlin and then documenting it with a deluxe 4-LP boxed set on 180g vinyl, including a booklet of essays and interviews and a lushly produced festival booklet. Throw on top of that the fact that the planned follow-up is a feature-length documentary retracing the history of free improvised music in the UK.
