Live Improvisations

Live Improvisations
Live album by
Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson
Released1992 (1992)
RecordedMay 1990
VenueLondon, Sheffield, Leeds Bridge End
GenreExperimental music, free improvisation
Length52:48
LabelWoof (UK)
Megaphone (US)
ProducerFred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson
Fred Frith chronology
Dropera
(1991) 		Live Improvisations
(1992) 		Helter Skelter
(1992)

Live Improvisations is a 1992 collaborative live album of improvised music by English experimental musicians Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. It was recorded in May 1990 in England and was released on Woof Records in the United Kingdom and Megaphone Records in the United States.

Background

Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson's first performance together was when they supplied music for a dance recital in 1968 while they were students at Cambridge University. They had never played together before and Frith said "[Tim] had an alto sax, and I had my violin, and we just improvised this ghastly screaming noise for about half an hour." Surprised by their performance, and to keep the momentum going, Frith and Hodgkinson formed a band, which went on to become the English avant-rock group Henry Cow.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic

Writing in a review at AllMusic, Rick Anderson described the improvisations of Frith and Hodgkinson on this album as "cacophonic", but added that "none of it is ugly; in fact, much of it is downright lovely". Anderson rated the album as "[h]ighly recommended".

Track listing

All tracks are untitled, composed by Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson, and performed in England.

Track Venue Date Length
1. Club Integral, Conway Hall, London 12 May 1990 33:20
2. Purcell Room, London 13 May 1990 2:08
3. Purcell Room, London 13 May 1990 1:17
4. Purcell Room, London 13 May 1990 3:13
5. George IV, Infirmary Road, Sheffield 10 May 1990 8:23
6. Termite Club, The Adelphi, Leeds Bridge End 11 May 1990 4:27

Source: Discogs, Fred Frith discography.

Personnel

Source: Discogs, Fred Frith discography.

Recording notes

All tracks recorded by Michael Gerzon.

  • Track 1 recorded on a 4-track
  • Tracks 2, 3 and 4 recorded on a DAT
  • Tracks 5 and 6 recorded on a Sony Professional

Source: Discogs.

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b This album appears to have been released in 1992, even though the liner notes say "All music copyright Hodgkinson/Frith 1990", and several sources list the release date as 1990.

References

  1. ^ Hodgkinson, Tim. "Discography". Tim Hodgkinson homepage. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Ramond, Michel; Roussel, Patrice; Vuilleumier, Stephane. "Discography of Fred Frith". New York Downtown Scene and Other Miscellaneous Discographies. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  3. ^ C. Rizzi (1998). Enciclopedia della musica rock. 2. 1970 – 1979. Giunti Editore. p. 266. ISBN 978-88-09-21523-8.
  4. ^ Frith, Fred; Hodgkinson, Tim (1992). Live Improvisations (vinyl). London: Woof.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Live Improvisations". Discogs. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Live Improvisations". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Anderson, Rick. Live Improvisations at AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Fred Frith interview". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 15 February 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2013.