WILL GLASER - Take Five 79
Can you tell us about your new album?
So, this new album is really the culmination of two other albums. About three years ago, I had this idea to make a series of three albums that would scratch several musical itches I was unable to satisfy playing in other peoples projects. It can get confusing to explain although it seems simple in my head, so I’ll take you through a condensed time line.
I have always loved duo playing; me and Matthew Herd had been playing together since being at music college and after leaving we were playing duo together all the time. We wrote tunes together, played standards, played free and took inspiration from anything we liked. I knew I wanted to make a duo record with Matt but by this time was also fascinated with playing duo more generally, for me it sort of distils all the musical ingredients and there’s nowhere to hide.
So after musing on this for a while I decided to make two duo albums. For the second duo I knew instantly I wanted to ask Liam Noble. Nick Smart introduced me to Liam’s music when I was but a wee, knock-kneed teenager. Liam’s album Starry Starry Night with Paul Clarvis to be precise. I was obsessed with this album and it’s still one of my favourite records. Liam and I had played now and again in various settings and I always felt like we were coming from a similar musical place, thinking long term I also really wanted to hear Matthew and Liam play together. So that was the plan, a duo record with each of them, then combine them as a trio. Thats what this new record is.
In both part one, and part two, we play the same tunes and improvise pieces. I wanted to use the same material as a way of really focussing on how the personalities of the musicians I was playing with shaped the music, and also how I played. This is potentially the aspect of Jazz and Improvised music I love the most. The spontaneous creation of music is so heavily influenced by each individuals musical experiences and interests, but then what you hear in the music is the real time meeting and tussling and working out of these different experiences, to make one unified sound. Where these experiences are similar you get one effect, when they are different you get new and surprising sounds. Then you have all the in-between bits.
When Matthew and myself first began playing duo together a way of playing developed that blurred the lines between improvisational approaches. When playing songs and American song book tunes we opened things out. Form, time and feel open to change and manipulation at any moment. When playing improvised pieces, we tried to condense them into short structured improvisations that had a strong compositional identity. In short trying to get into a place where the two distinct approaches of Jazz and totally free improvisation meet.
For this new album, Climbing In Circles, you have all three of us. The material is different, chosen to reflect a range of shared influences, and the improvisations the result of the three of us spontaneously composing together.
So, this new album is really the culmination of two other albums. About three years ago, I had this idea to make a series of three albums that would scratch several musical itches I was unable to satisfy playing in other peoples projects. It can get confusing to explain although it seems simple in my head, so I’ll take you through a condensed time line.
I have always loved duo playing; me and Matthew Herd had been playing together since being at music college and after leaving we were playing duo together all the time. We wrote tunes together, played standards, played free and took inspiration from anything we liked. I knew I wanted to make a duo record with Matt but by this time was also fascinated with playing duo more generally, for me it sort of distils all the musical ingredients and there’s nowhere to hide.
So after musing on this for a while I decided to make two duo albums. For the second duo I knew instantly I wanted to ask Liam Noble. Nick Smart introduced me to Liam’s music when I was but a wee, knock-kneed teenager. Liam’s album Starry Starry Night with Paul Clarvis to be precise. I was obsessed with this album and it’s still one of my favourite records. Liam and I had played now and again in various settings and I always felt like we were coming from a similar musical place, thinking long term I also really wanted to hear Matthew and Liam play together. So that was the plan, a duo record with each of them, then combine them as a trio. Thats what this new record is.
In both part one, and part two, we play the same tunes and improvise pieces. I wanted to use the same material as a way of really focussing on how the personalities of the musicians I was playing with shaped the music, and also how I played. This is potentially the aspect of Jazz and Improvised music I love the most. The spontaneous creation of music is so heavily influenced by each individuals musical experiences and interests, but then what you hear in the music is the real time meeting and tussling and working out of these different experiences, to make one unified sound. Where these experiences are similar you get one effect, when they are different you get new and surprising sounds. Then you have all the in-between bits.
When Matthew and myself first began playing duo together a way of playing developed that blurred the lines between improvisational approaches. When playing songs and American song book tunes we opened things out. Form, time and feel open to change and manipulation at any moment. When playing improvised pieces, we tried to condense them into short structured improvisations that had a strong compositional identity. In short trying to get into a place where the two distinct approaches of Jazz and totally free improvisation meet.
For this new album, Climbing In Circles, you have all three of us. The material is different, chosen to reflect a range of shared influences, and the improvisations the result of the three of us spontaneously composing together.
What other projects are you currently involved in?
So a year of lockdowns and very infrequent gigs has dramatically changed the answer to this question. Lots of things I was involved with are on hold for the foreseeable but some things have been released and lots of new projects started.
Rick Simpson recently released his Kid A reimagined record which I had a lot of fun being a part of, we’ve been playing together for years so its really nice to have been part of one of his projects.
In the last couple of months I’ve had the pleasure of doing several Live Stream gigs at the Vortex. Ollie Brice and Tom Challenger, Riley Stone-Lonerghan’s quartet with Oli Hayhurst and Rick Simpson, and Olly Chalk’s quartet with Dan Kemshell and Tom Challenger.
I’ve also been using this year to focus a little more on my own music making. I released a duo record with James Allsopp in October, called New River Ramble which we recorded in August. I’m in the process of working on a solo EP/Album that began life back in July.
I’ve also been having regular plays with Alex Bonney and George Crowley exploring different ways of marrying acoustic and electronic improvisation together.
It’s been a strange year but I’m hopeful that a lot of new and exciting musical seeds have been planted.
So a year of lockdowns and very infrequent gigs has dramatically changed the answer to this question. Lots of things I was involved with are on hold for the foreseeable but some things have been released and lots of new projects started.
Rick Simpson recently released his Kid A reimagined record which I had a lot of fun being a part of, we’ve been playing together for years so its really nice to have been part of one of his projects.
In the last couple of months I’ve had the pleasure of doing several Live Stream gigs at the Vortex. Ollie Brice and Tom Challenger, Riley Stone-Lonerghan’s quartet with Oli Hayhurst and Rick Simpson, and Olly Chalk’s quartet with Dan Kemshell and Tom Challenger.
I’ve also been using this year to focus a little more on my own music making. I released a duo record with James Allsopp in October, called New River Ramble which we recorded in August. I’m in the process of working on a solo EP/Album that began life back in July.
I’ve also been having regular plays with Alex Bonney and George Crowley exploring different ways of marrying acoustic and electronic improvisation together.
It’s been a strange year but I’m hopeful that a lot of new and exciting musical seeds have been planted.
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What are you currently listening to and what was the last CD or download you bought?
The last thing I listened to was Julius Hemphill’s Reflections which is a 1995 re-issue of his second record. I’m relatively new to Hemphill and the affiliated scene of musicians he played with and I’m really enjoying exploring their music.
The last thing I bought came from listening to the Hemphill record and exploring some of the musicians on there - a vinyl that hasn’t arrived yet but I’m waiting with bated breath. All players associated with Hemphill - Anthony Davis, James Newton and Abdul Wadud “I’ve Known Rivers”. It’s an amazing record.
On CD I think the last thing I bought was “Voltage Controlled Parade Music” by Scarla O’Horror. Out on the not-applicable label it features James Allsopp on sax, Alex Bonney on Trumpet, Isambard Khroustaliov on Electronics and Tim Giles on Drums. It arrived with a bonus gift cd too - “Hypertide over Kiribati” by Lothar Ohlmeier, Rudi Fischerlehner and Isambard Khroustaliov.
Last thing I downloaded was “Piano in the foreground” Duke Ellington. Speaks for itself that one I think.
What is your all time favourite album and why?
This is a question I just can’t answer. There are so many amazing albums for so many reasons, and they have all influenced me in so many ways, to pick just one seems unfair. I also change my mind frequently and will disagree with myself several times a day so this seems like quite the commitment.
I really love the Lester Young trio record with Nat King Cole on piano and Buddy Rich on drums, that comes to mind. But probably a strange one as Buddy Rich isn’t a direct influence on me in anyway. That record is all about Nat King Cole and Prez.
Money Jungle by Ellington, Max Roach and Mingus. Max was my way into Jazz drumming, with Rollins and Clifford brown. I was obsessed with Mingus’ Ah um, The Clown and Black saint and the sinner lady early on. And Ellington is everything. Let’s go with that one. What a crazy album.
But then there’s also Led Zeppelin one… there’s too much music to pick one thing.
The last thing I listened to was Julius Hemphill’s Reflections which is a 1995 re-issue of his second record. I’m relatively new to Hemphill and the affiliated scene of musicians he played with and I’m really enjoying exploring their music.
The last thing I bought came from listening to the Hemphill record and exploring some of the musicians on there - a vinyl that hasn’t arrived yet but I’m waiting with bated breath. All players associated with Hemphill - Anthony Davis, James Newton and Abdul Wadud “I’ve Known Rivers”. It’s an amazing record.
On CD I think the last thing I bought was “Voltage Controlled Parade Music” by Scarla O’Horror. Out on the not-applicable label it features James Allsopp on sax, Alex Bonney on Trumpet, Isambard Khroustaliov on Electronics and Tim Giles on Drums. It arrived with a bonus gift cd too - “Hypertide over Kiribati” by Lothar Ohlmeier, Rudi Fischerlehner and Isambard Khroustaliov.
Last thing I downloaded was “Piano in the foreground” Duke Ellington. Speaks for itself that one I think.
What is your all time favourite album and why?
This is a question I just can’t answer. There are so many amazing albums for so many reasons, and they have all influenced me in so many ways, to pick just one seems unfair. I also change my mind frequently and will disagree with myself several times a day so this seems like quite the commitment.
I really love the Lester Young trio record with Nat King Cole on piano and Buddy Rich on drums, that comes to mind. But probably a strange one as Buddy Rich isn’t a direct influence on me in anyway. That record is all about Nat King Cole and Prez.
Money Jungle by Ellington, Max Roach and Mingus. Max was my way into Jazz drumming, with Rollins and Clifford brown. I was obsessed with Mingus’ Ah um, The Clown and Black saint and the sinner lady early on. And Ellington is everything. Let’s go with that one. What a crazy album.
But then there’s also Led Zeppelin one… there’s too much music to pick one thing.
