John Butcher @ 70: Berlin Weekend

All photos (c) Cristina Marx/Photomusix

By Paul Acquaro (text) and Cristina Marx (photos)

In advance of his 70th birthday (October 25, 1954), British saxophonist John Butcher performed for three consecutive nights at the recently renovated experimental music space KM28 in Berlin's lively Neukölln district. The musical program featured six different configurations, with Butcher being the main connecting element, although his long history with the city certainly played a role as well.

Each night of the residency followed an intentional pattern. As Butcher explained, "I wanted each night to start with a duo. It's the most intimate situation for both the players and listeners and I like the clarity of intention one usually hears. Then the trios and quartet, which generate very different dynamics of interaction."

The series kicked off with Butcher and pianist Magda Mayas, who also was co-organizer of the event, who along with photographer Cristina Marx (whose photos are featured here) made the birthday concert residency a reality. Butcher and Mayas' performance, which, although they have played together in different combinations over many years, was their first as a duo. The set was captivating, built on fluttering and fleeting harmonics and overtones of Mayas' prepared piano and Butcher's unique musical language. 

All of the sets were unique, building on old and new collaborators, all drawing out different sides of Butcher's playing. Butcher further elaborated, "it was primarily based around my relationships with Berlin based musicians - some going back 25 years (Axel & Werner) - but adding Angharad (who herself has strong Berlin connections) and Xavier (so we could present The Contest of Pleasures - the one "regular" group). It principally involved musicians I had a history with, although it was the first time I'd played with Andrea and only the second with Emilio.

"The duo with Magda, the trio with Emilio & Liz, and the quartet were all first time combinations, " he continued, and "the duos with Angharad and Tony have been very occasional, perhaps 2 or 3 times."

The end result of all the arrangements was a musically rich event, with Butcher seemingly drawing on ever refreshing sources of inspiration and a very happy birthday party for all involved.

Thursday, Sept 12:

MAYAS & BUTCHER
Magda Mayas (piano) & John Butcher (saxophone)

 

THE CONTEST OF PLEASURES
Axel Dörner (trumpet), Xavier Charles (clarinet) & John Butcher (saxophone)

The Mayas and Butcher set was followed by a reconvening of a long standing "Contest of Pleasures" with trumpeter Axel Dorner and french clarinetist Xavier Charles. The trio's music was telepathic and episodic, one musician introducing an idea and the others quickly reacting to it, sometimes in harmony and other times with harsh dissonance. Extended techniques were plentiful, with the group employing many out of the ordinary approaches to playing their respective instruments.

Friday, Sept 13

BUCK & BUTCHER
Tony Buck (drums) & John Butcher (saxophone)

 

Opposite of the tonal experiments of the first night, the duo opened the night in a more rhythmically syncopated and melodically straight-forward way. Buck used each limb to play a different instrument (chimes, shaker, bells and bass drum) in interweaving times. Butcher followed his melodic muse, first on tenor sax and then on soprano, his freely improvised lines flowing around the polyrythmic percussion. Traces of his highly personal approach to the saxophone - fluttering, chirps, and resonant tones - adorned the music as the two barrelled through a short but complete set.

 

ALLBEE, GORDOA & BUTCHER
Liz Allbee (trumpet), Emilio Gordoa (vibraphone, percussion) & John Butcher (saxophone)

The trio began agitatedly, Gordoa furiously bowing a cymbal, Albee deepening her sound with a mute, and Butcher leaning into signiature multiphonics. Experimental playing, from a bowed beer can to blowing through the trumpet's spit-release valve, abounded as the trio tacitly followed and pulled the musical strands that connected them.

Saturday, Sept 14

 

DAVIES & BUTCHER
Angharad Davies (violin) & John Butcher (saxophone)  

The first set of the last evening began with saliva gurgling in the mouthpiece of the sax as an atonal melody slowly emerged from the violin. Then, the centrifugal forces formed from the circular intensity of Davies playing, which seemed to amplify Butcher's humming and vibrating melodies. Roles then reversed, but the musical tensions stayed strong until the end of this gripping set.

BUTCHER–NEUMANN–DAFELDECKER–BEINS
John Butcher (saxophone)
Andrea Neumann (piano, electronics)
Werner Dafeldecker (double bass, electronics)
Burkhard Beins (percussion)

The final set was with Polwechsel members Werner Dafeldecker and Burkhard Beins, along with Andrea Neumann. The quartet, a deep representation of the Echtzeit musik scene of Berlin (Neuman, Beins and Dafeldecker were all early participants) covered the sonic possibilities from extreme quiet to extended techniques (i.e. steel wool on drums) to train like chugging taking the group to energetic peaks.