Chris Burn & John Butcher

Burn and Butcher are probably most associated for their work in Chris Burn's ENSEMBLE - but their musical relationship goes back to the mid 1970s.
Early projects included Burn's Jazz Ensemble and numerous small groups that gradually moved towards free improvisation - abetted by weekly rehearsals and concerts at the Workers' Music Assosiation in Notting Hill Gate.

For both, their first published recording was the 1984 LP Fonetiks. Around this time they also performed in John Corbett's Freelance with Elton Dean, and Embers with Jim Denley and Marcio Mattos.

Recently they have begun to revisit duo playing, but now focussing on electroacoustic techniques. A recording project is being planned.

Chris Burn's ENSEMBLE

1990 © ivan dias

Formed in 1984 to work with strategies to develop a more 'chamber' approach to large group improvising.
For the first dozen years the personnel was:

Chris Burn - piano
John Butcher - saxes
Jim Denley- flute
Stevie Wishart - violin, hurdy-gurdy
Phil Durrant - violin
John Russell - guitar
Marcio Mattos - cello
Matt Hutchinson - synthesiser

In 1997 ENSEMBLE expanded to an 11 piece - adding:

Rhodri Davies - harp
Mark Wastell - cello
Axel Dörner - trumpet.

ENSEMBLE is now a flexible unit of varying size, whose most recent recording, of a quintet concert in Poland in 2002, included: Xavier Charles - clarinet / Nicos Veliotis - cello.

Two recent concerts included Flemish musicians Adelheid Sieuw (flute), and Jan Huib Nas (guitar) - whilst two large group performances took place in Vienna and Berlin.

Chris Burn - piano: Cordula Bösze - flute: Xavier Charles - clarinet: Franz Hautzinger - trumpet:
Helge Hinteregger - sampler: Christof Kurtzmann - lloopp:
Burkhard Stangl - guitar: John Butcher - saxophones: Eva Reiter - viola de gamba & recorder:
Werner Dafeldecker - bass: Paul Lovens - drums:

Chris Burn - piano: Kai Fagashinski - clarinet: Diego Chamy - percussion:
Christof Kurtzmann - lloopp: Burkhard Stangl - guitar:
John Edwards - double bass: Burkhard Beins - percussion: John Butcher - saxophones: Boris Baltschun - computer:

ENSEMBLE
at Musica Genera

Concert recording from 2002: Teatr Kana, Szczecin, Poland

full info :: Musica Genera

read :: Paris Transatlantic :: All About Jazz

Horizontals White

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London concert recordings from 2001.
Freedom of the City Festival and The Red Rose Club.

full info :: Emanem

read :: allmusic

Navigations

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11 piece version - released on ACTA.
Gateway Studios, London: 1997.

Richard Barrett's liner notes

read :: allmusic

The Place 1991

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Evan Parker guests on Blocks and Arches.
Crosswinds Festival, Place Theatre, London: 1991

full info :: Emanem

read :: allmusic