Nigemizu by John Butcher

Tenor and Soprano saxophones.

"Nigezimu is a potent document of Butcher at his most immediate and unfettered. From the very first notes of 'Enrai', I was transported back in time to the first occasion I went to see John Butcher live; about four or five years ago at ATP in the incongruous surroundings of Butlins. Eschewing the hard blowing favoured by some solo saxophonists such as Colin Stetson or even the deceptively subtle but usually loud Peter Brötzmann, Butcher constructs his improvisations with care and patience, starting quietly on 'Enrai' with softly fluttered notes.
His use of space is fundamental: the first track was recorded in a church in Osaka, the second and third in a converted farm space in Fukaya, and there are notable differences in the atmospheres between the two, with the church's naturally resonant reverb allowing the saxophonist to suspend notes in the ether, often dissolving them into pregnant silences. As the piece develops (over 26 minutes), with Butcher deploying increasingly dense overtones, strident high notes and circular breathing, it becomes almost symphonic, an epic exaltation of the power of his instrument and of his symbiosis with it. Apparently, 'Enrai' in Japanese means "distant thunder", and there's no better way to encapsulate the track's power.

The other two pieces, on soprano sax, sound initially more upbeat in comparison to 'Enrai's dense clusters, with bright clusters of notes tumbling rhythmically out of his horn. The sound, especially midway through 'Uchimizu', when Butcher draws out shrill, trilling motifs with remarkable speed, is akin to water racing down a hillside, or the fleeting songs of swooping flycatchers. Melodically, I'm reminded of certain symphonic works of the classical age, when instruments were used as metaphors for the natural world, and again, one marvels at the way Butcher creates such elaborate, evocative suites of sound using a solitary saxophone.
Closer 'Hamon', at six minutes, is the shortest of the three pieces, and shares much of the spirit of 'Uchimizu', signing off the album with a joyful flourish of grace and beauty.

In Butcher's hands, decades of jazz and improv tradition are reimagined and personalised, resulting in a truly unique and instantly recognisable voice."
Joseph Burnett - The Quietus

Improviser, Composer, Saxophonist.
Born in Brighton.
Lives in London.

johnbutcher.org.uk