64CD - Deep Tide Quartet - See One, Do One, Teach One - CD plus download

This is a truly exceptional album from Martin Archer's Discus imprint, with a quartet featuring a veritable cast of some of the most exciting players on the contemporary jazz/improv circuit. See One, Do One, Teach One is a double album, with the CD sleeve advising that "you treat this collection as two separate albums to be heard at different times", and whilst there is a sense of group sound and continuity in these performances there the similarity ends.

The music presented offers up freely improvised pieces that may or may not have a pre-conceived compositional elements alongside music that draws a source of inspiration from graphic charts as opposed to notated scores. As such the two discs differ in as much as much of CD1 is comprised of the preconceived or composed pieces, and CD2 is predominantly improvised. Having said this the soundworld inhabited by the four musicians has a sonic consistency across both discs thus giving the overall impression of two complete performance in two distinct and separate sets.

Martin Archer has put together a quartet that does not simply operate within the confines of a recording studio, but one which is an active working band, and hopefully a work in progress that will continue to develop over an extended period of time. The instrumental combination provides a full and varied tonal palette, with Archer cleverly using the recording studio and post production techniques to enhance the recorded music. This may range from simply overdubbing his bass clarinet parts to the subtle  electronic manipulation that is seamlessly integrated with the electronic soundscape of percussionist Walt Shaw, as such to try and discern who is doing what is a somewhat redundant exercise.

What is immediately discernible however, is how all four participants work together as a collective. All instinctively knowing when to contribute, and even adding poignantly  to the music by not playing at all, and this is perhaps what makes the music on these two discs so ultimately satisfying. Kim  Macari 's trumpet is beautifully full toned, yet the range of slurs and smears she elicits from the horn counteract Archer's more full throttled tenor to great effect. Whether eliciting a gentle melody or exploring the outer reaches of his tenor saxophone through extremes of pitch or multiphonics Archer's playing  retains a tightly controlled focus that steers a secure course for his fellow travellers. His sopranino playing is just as intensely focussed when stepping out to solo, and also provides a superb counter voice to Macari's trumpet in delightful dialogues that appear as if from nowhere.

This is also true of pianist, Laura Cole, whose playing on both discs is quite phenomenal. Whether playing solo as she does on the through composed opener, 'Just A Moment In Time' or interacting with her three colleagues in ensembles that can be densely packed sonic excursions or quiet and reflective passages she is often the fulcrum f the music, building bridges between ideas or suggesting harmonic area of interest that can be taken up by Macari or Archer as is deemed most appropriate to the moment. Her commentary is often very subtle, not one to hog the limelight but contributing greatly to the group sound. This even extends to the long passages where the piano sits out, only to to sound so good when it once again returns. This side of Cole's musical persona is new to this reviewer and bodes well for the solo piano recording that is currently in preparation, and will also be released on Discus Music.

Overall a superb album that deserves to be widely heard, and a quartet that should be on everyone's radar to catch live. Contemporary composition/improv does not get much better than this. - Nick Lea JAZZ VIEWS

Deep Tide Quartet suggest that this double CD set should be listened to as two separate albums at different times;  and indeed it does feel like witnessing a couple of well-paced concerts in intimate venues due to the close recording.  The quartet are Discus label founder Martin Archer on saxes and bass clarinet, Laura Cole on piano, Kim Macari on trumpet, and Walt Shaw on percussion and electronics, all with pedigrees too long to list here.

The group play a mixture of compositions and improvisations, and graphic scores and jams later restructured in the studio by Archer, in a deliberately open-ended remit with, in his words, “no stylistic limitations”.  This sort of approach is exemplified by “Song For Gato Barbieri”.  It begins with a theme by Shaw that gradually swells into a vertically layered improvisation, which displays raw lyricism and a remarkable intra-group empathy.  Sometimes, in a improvisation like “Deep Tide”, the players state melodic and rhythmic motifs, which they then repeat or modify to give the feel of a spontaneous composition.

If the group have a signature it’s their use of breathing space, with musicians, all exceptional listeners, happy to drop out for long periods as and when appropriate.  “I Am Here / Phone In Rice 1” is a directed improvisation by Cole that’s based on a series of her photos.  This results in a lengthy, episodic piece with the ensemble nibbling on one or two notes before dropping into near silence, cut with outbursts of red-blooded playing, including the most avian sax solo one could hope to hear.  By contrast the improvised “The Self-Threading Needle” features some powerful group playing that hints obliquely at Latin American and Iberian themes.  

The title track, an Archer composition, is one of the set’s most compelling pieces and is beautifully played by all.  Shaw’s tumbling rhythms, with their flickering fine details, delineate considerable spaces, into which the brass sporadically enter and leave playing sombre themes, which are garnished by Cole’s clusters of high piano notes. – Mike Barnes THE WIRE.

See One, Do One, Teach One was released in August by “Discus Music”. The album was recorded by “Deep Tide Quartet” which members are Martin Archer (saxophones), Kim Macari (trumpet), Laura Cole (piano) and Walt Shaw (percussion and live electronics). Martin Archer is a composer, improviser and saxophonist. His own and unique playing style is based on spontaneous, active and creative improvising. He’s also is a sound producer, co-director of avant music choir “Juxtavoices”. Kim Macari is avant-garde jazz trumpeter, improviser and composer. She improvises with various avant-garde jazz ensembles and musicians – the latest works of Kim Macari was “The Orpheus Project”, “Family Band” and the latest one with “Deep Tide Quartet”. Kim Macari playing is interesting, full of surprises and unpredictable stylistic waves, extended playing techniques and musical experiments. Laura Cole is avant-garde jazz composer and pianist. She also has her own ensemble “Metamorphic”, which is based on London. Her playing style is unique and interesting, based on synthesis between avant-garde and various modern jazz styles. Walt Shaw is a freelance musician and artist from near Derby in the Midlands. He had been performing various projects and collaborated with many different musicians through 28 years of his musical career. He’s the member of various avant-garde jazz ensembles – playing with “Deep Tide Quartet”, “WHM”, “Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere”, “Engine Room Favourites” and many others. Walt Shaw playing doesn’t have any stylistic limits – he masterfully combines together avant-garde jazz, bebop, hard-bop, electronic music elements, academic avant-garde, experimental music and many other music styles elements.

This album music is based on various jazz styles and contemporary academic music synthesis. Four musicians improvisations are full of many different musical expressions, various episodes which are highly contrasting with each other, free and energetic collective improvisations and other musical language elements. The musicians try out plenty of different extended and adventurous playing techniques – the innovative and interesting methods of playing are effectively combined together with traditional playing techniques. The basic musical pattern and form of these compositions are based on collective improvisation – spontaneous, free, energetic and passionate improvisations are the main part of the basic musical pattern. Martin Archer saxophone melodies bring very much energy to improvisations – his solos are very dynamic and active. Energetic, wild fast and powerful solos are full of unusual timbres and sounds, inventive musical expressions, special sound effects and extended playing techniques. Saxophonist creatively combine together especially expressive, passionate and energetic solos with lyrical pieces, which usually have soft and peaceful sound, restful harmony and slow tempo. The putting together absolutely different musical episodes brings more colours, sounds and different styles elements to the compositions. It also shows the musicians ability to masterfully put together absolutely different characters, moods and playing techniques in one place – saxophone melodies varies between very fast, energetic, vivacious to very soft, lyrical, restful and monotonic sound. Kim Macari trumpet improvisations have very bright and evocative sound. These improvisations, as same as the saxophone melodies, are especially energetic and dynamic for the most of the time. Sharp, aggressive, evocative and interesting sound is the main element of her improvisations. Improviser creatively and spontaneously change the mood and characters of the compositions, try out numerous of different extended playing techniques. Laura Cole piano playing varies between free and vivacious avant-garde jazz improvisations, very energetic and dynamic bebop and hard-bop solos with some intonations of traditional jazz styles. Her playing is constantly changing, has very interesting harmony and high variety of different musical expressions. Sharp and dissonance harmony chords are mixed together with soft ones, dynamic and wild fast rhythmic – with monotonic and slow. Piano improvisations are full of glissandos, wonderful and marvellous arpeggios, melodic and vivacious solos and other elements. Walt Shaw percussion improvisations are full of many different playing techniques – he try out many extended playing techniques to extract unusual and extraordinary timbres and sounds. He also use electronics in some part of the compositions. Electronics are used very professionally in whole album improvisations – mostly it’s used like a colouristic element. Various live electronics playing techniques, computer devices sounds, special effects, field and tape recordings, sonic system experiments and other playing techniques are effectively combined together and form a colourful and subtle background. Interesting, bright and evocative musical language, creative and outstanding improvising make original and vivacious sound to this album. – AVANTSCENA

Deep Tide Quartet is another outlet for the many talents of Martin Archer, the Sheffield player who is more than “just” a jazz musician and improviser, with his serious inroads into composition, electronics, rock and jazz-rock, and even experiments with vocal groups and poetry. Unlike his big band exploits which entertain us so much with their complexity and richness, the double CD set See One, Do One, Teach One (DISCUS MUSIC DISCUS 64CD) is very intimate, performed by a small quartet where the gender balance is just right and the respect and friendship between the players is self-evident throughout. These are Archer on tenor and sopranino sax and bass clarinet; Kim Macari, trumpet; Laura Cole, piano; Walt Shaw, drummer (and some live electronics too). Chamber jazz, as we might call it, is the order of the day, harking back to the small groups of the 1950s and 1960s we love so well as represented on labels such as Blue Note and Prestige.

Along with the extroverted party-vibes of the big-band records, what’s also being jettisoned is conventional melody and conventional time-keeping; most of the music heard so far on the set (so far I have only spun the first disk) is determined to strike out into unknown turf and semi-controlled free playing, and content to allow tunes to take a back seat. On one level then, See One, Do One, Teach One might not be far apart from the more reflective and strange moments of Sun Ra in the 1960s, or indeed some of the furthest reaches of the ESP-Disk’ catalogue when jazzers wanted to stop and observe the contradictions of the world to express them using puzzling and puzzled tones, rather than outright “free” skronks and hoots such as we might associate with the BYG label of 1969. This isn’t to say the pieces lack structure. On the contrary, it’s fair to call a good chunk of the music semi-composed, and that by many methods; two pieces use a graphical score, in turn inspired by visual art (sculpture) rather than purely musical sources; one long piece is a “directed improvisation”, bringing to mind the conduction experiments of Butch Morris and others; other pieces had their performances edited, re-arranged and spliced in the studio by Martin Archer, interventions which he describes as “quasi-compositional events created in post-production”.

With all of these collaborations, the gender balance continues to shine through, all players contributing to the total effort. The two sets together amount to what, in the old days of vinyl, would have constituted a four LP boxed set; that’s a lot of music, testament to the prolific achievements of Archer and his crew. The sleeve note advises us to treat each disk as a separate album, and playing them on different occasions is indicated. I mention this because, much as I love Archer and everything he does, this is one set that might have benefited from a little editing; while there’s not a duff track in sight, the sound of the quartet does get a little samey after 78 minutes of listening, in spite of their best efforts to introduce variety. However, there’s also an interesting tension of sorts going on within the group. Often-times the percussion is pushing for action, laying out a very detailed plan that advocates moving fast and arriving ten minutes ahead of time. The piano wants to stay in one place and draw somewhat melancholic conclusions from the vistas and landscapes that surround us. The saxophone wants to gesticulate freely, but is aware of the underlying sadness in the world.

Not every track conforms to this simplistic profile, but it’s these general trends in the music is what gives Deep Tide Quartet their distinctive flavour and characterise their contribution. Autumnal, wistful jazz, constantly informed by nervy energy. From 1st September 2017.  - Ed Pinsent, SOUND PROJECTOR

Il quartetto che il grande Martin Archer ha voluto formare per questo doppio CD (oltre a lui al sax tenore, al sax sopranino e al clarinetto basso troviamo: Kim Macari alla tromba, Laura Cole al piano e Walt Shaw alle percussioni e al live electronics) esplora con grande passione la libertà del fare musica, muovendosi con agilità tra composizione e improvvisazione: se tutti e quattro i musicisti contribuiscono firmando dei brani, più di un terzo delle tracce sono ma presentate semplicemente come improvisation. Il pregio dei due dischi – il primo articolato intorno a brani più strutturati, il secondo maggiormente votato all’estemporaneità improvvisativa – è senz’altro quello di presentare all’ascoltatore the fine art of the interplay. La conversazione musicale tra diverse personae incorporate dagli strumenti è la protagonista assoluta del lavoro e l’overdubbing in postproduzione (in particolare talvolta l’aggiunta del clarinetto basso di Archer), così come il ricorso alla partitura grafica o a eventi pre-composti, non contamina affatto la sua freschezza: ciò che conta, dalla prima traccia (Just a Moment in Time, un titolo quanto mai azzeccato per sottolineare l’esperienza della libertà musicale qui stupendamente vissuta dal piano di Laura Cole) all’ultima (Wayne’s World), passando per tutte le altre (tra cui quella, ispiratissima, che inaugura il secondo disco: Song For Gato Barbieri), è la libertà della creativa espressione collettiva attraverso il suono (e il silenzio che lo circonda) e attraverso il passaggio tra i generi e gli stili. La capacità di tessere trame sonore insieme e da soli, intervenendo nella circostanza opportuna (ovvero facendo sì che la circostanza dell’intervento diventi opportuna), prendendosi la scena al momento giusto e al momento giusto ritirandosi, supportando i partner quando occorre, e sottraendosi quando la propria presenza risulterebbe scomoda o inutile o di peso: ecco, questa capacità, senz’altro anche grazie all’eleganza timbrica e alla bellezza dei fraseggi, diventa tra le mani di questi musicisti eccellenza artistica.  *****  - A G Bertinetto, KATHODIK

Dvojdisková ambaláž See One, Do One, Teach One ukazuje rozdychtěné členy téměř bezlimitního Deep Tide Quartetu nad rolujícím fotbálkem a předznamenává tak neustálou rozehrávavost. Jedenáct a deset skladeb či improvizací v Chairworks Castleford nahráli 8. a 9. května 2017 Martin Archer s tenorem (nezvykle – po 35 letech), sopranino saxofonem a s basovým klarinetem, Kim Macari s trubkou, Laura Cole u klavíru a Walt Shaw s perkusemi a živou elektronikou. Od vynořovaných momentek, jemnocitně zatikaných a (k)lavírovaných (Just a Moment in Time) nebo výpadkových (p)rostíranek, pýřících se v napínavostním pošátrávání, plném prostupenkových rozvernušek či vymršťovaných proráženek (Arundel 1) přes rozvášnivé zběsilkování, závratnění, úvratnění a střelhbitostní vytřibování (trubka s perkusemi), vyvažovaného či vyvazováného nárazníkovým saxněním a zasněním do tanečkovosti, mihotavě propírané, jež se náslibně obtočí (po)hromným rozperkusněním a drhněním bojůvek vtíravých vřeštivostí (Slip Trip) či potichlostně poťouchlostní celebrování, úkradkově vytáčkující do lstivé zajíkavosti a rozdýmané plouživosti, nepřímočaře vytáčené (The Anne Tree) po nahroutivě potácivostní vyrukovávání, krouživě hrouživé, záštěkně nebo naopak rozmazlivě propulzovávané a pospojované ve srostitostních odehrávkách, polarizující souhru, dynamiku, časoměrnost vyjadřovaných pocitů, aby si posluchači mohli každičký záběr vychutnat a vštípit si ho do paměti, dát jim na to čas, a tím je vyburcovat (titulní Archerova kompozice) a po proklepnostně odvažované vyrolovávání a obhlédání, poskládané z následností jednotlivých nástrojů, seřetězených, kličkujících, vždy znovu odhodlávavých i couvajících, pýřivě rozčepýřených, rozcinkávaných i žaluzijně stahovaných, rozkližovaně znesmělovaných i odbojně zakližovaných (I´m Here / Phone in Rice 1, což je improvizace, dirigovaná Laurou Cole na podkladě série jejích fotografií z Cayton Bay, North Yorkshire). Improvizované The Self-Threading Needle si s neodbytným odhodláváním vymapuje sax, z bezhlučnostního návratnění si vysóluje překlenovací scénu, dokud ho neobklopí zřídelná dynamičnost partnerů, nezanikavě roztrušovaná, občas podvojná (trubka a perkuse), zopakovávaná v pronikavostně úchvatných chvatech (ne však záchvatech) do orchestrální rozvolněnosti. Nikdo tu nadbytečně nemutýruje, vše je samovolně samozřejmé, vyvolňovaně pulzující, vzrušivé, zádušnějící, mrskutné i pábivé, proměňující se z momentu na moment, nedokončované, z(a)držované, vždy znovu pozotvírávané. Po letmě nabaživé, jednolitě forzírované Bee One vykročí hudebníci do druhé Arundel zlehýnka, pomaloučku jako na paloučku, se zamlženou střídmostí, navazují na jakýkoli, i sebemenší detail, integrují ho s odstředivými průramky, občas probludivě poschovávanými. (K čemuž je třeba dodat, že oba Arundely jsou provedeny na základě grafických partitur, inspirovaných skulpturou od Anne Truitt.) The Great Goatsy je vyštipkovaně troškující i vytěkávaně pendlující s klavírním jiskřením, nabalivá i zabalivá jsou momentující sólka s baživostí, která však k nabažení nedospěje, je tu plno vzrušenek, zadýchánek, kroksunkrokových přípodotků, srovnávaných do kroku i do skoku, vše propojeno rozchvatnivým průzorováním. Završivé One More Moment in Time pak dohloubá první část alba k náměrně smírnému doskonání.  Druhá deska (oproti první, více autorské - Archer, Shaw, Macari) je založena téměř převážně na improvizacích a v žádném případě se nejeví, že by zopakovala jako přes kopírák něco, co už jsme slyšeli. Naopak. Hned Song for Gato Barbieri je vyčkávavě rozvážný, zhluboka nadechnutý, ale jak stoupá energie (v tomto případě) komprovizace, hudebníci vydůrazňují svůj širočinový rozmach do harampádivé smrštnosti (zřejmě procizelované odlikou Barbieriho) a vystoupají do řítivého aždryáčtění, plného napětí, dokud tiráda nesklouzne do propauzovaného zapomalování. Deep Tide se naproti tomu výdešně vysoukává ze zakoktané obavnosti, zjemněle dávkované saxem a za součinnosti trubky a perkusí, postupně nabývá energie a sil s vyvřelinovou neodbytností, nástroje se dobývají v souhře i protihře do promatených obher i záher, vazkých i točivých zádrhelů, vírumilovně předhánivých i nedohánivých. Je nám nabízena (v téměř 12 minutách) řada nadějeplných návrhů od pozamlklosti ke kličkování, kdy trubka repetá a bicí potřeskují, a nikdy nám není zcela jasno, co se z toho všeho vyvrbí, ačkoliv vnímáme jak spontánnost, tak vzájemnou přizpůsobivost všech hráčů. Do zarážlivě podmalovávaného a dumně se šinoucího pobluesovaného poklidu nás okamžitě pronese DC Blues a je věru podivuhodné, jak se kvarteto dokáže na obrtlíku proměnit a naladit na tak odlišnou notu, v tomto případě dokonce poněkud rétorizující nad blamážním rytmováním. Avšak obkročně následuje další proměna: The Imploder vstoupí do arény s ryčnou swingovostí a s usilovně úlisným výbojněním, naznačovaným spíše záletnou rozpojností, kdy se hráči vrhají naráz přes překážky nebo váhají nad zdánlivým propastněním. S povykováním. Nesmím opomenout, že posledně jmenované tři improvizace Martin Archer dotvořil v postprodukci do kvazi-dokompozičnění, a tak je nadal určitým zdefinitivněním. Mezitím ovšem (takřtka třináctiminutová) druhá verze Coleiny I Am Here / Phone in Rice (viz šesté umístění na desce první) se rozevře do závrutnosti a zajařmování, je koketně vytěkávající i dětsky batolivá, hráči si hmoždinkují role a naráz probřeskují (sax), dojímají (trubka) i okolkují (klavír), ale vše se protřepe do jednolitého účinku, tu potichlého a zapomaleného, tu zdůvěrněle rozšolíchaného. To všechno si hudebníci vychutnávají, se zatajeným dechem (trubka) otevírají nové pasáže. Nastolují novou polohu, zaromantizovanou, večerkově spočívavou, z klidu do mrckování zapošitou (sopraninka), prokličkovávají se nebo propližují dějem, zapodkovaným bicími; vše probíhá v neustálém proklidnění a zneklidnění, zahlušování a výbojnění a tišiny tu fungují jako součást proaranžovaných souvětí. Nemylme se: ti čtyři spojenci (si) pouze nehrají, výsledné znění pochází z jejich vnitřního ustrojení, z jejich okamžité nálady, kterou vyjadřují dohromady a zároveň každý po svém. Archer – jako hned ve Fishers & Farmers – dá většinou pokyn k otevření další zásuvky masivu CD, chytá obsah na třpytky tónů, cingrlátkování, lovítkování, (možná bezhlese) vyjednává mezi nástroji o jejich (samo)zřejmém uplatnění v improvizacích, (spolu)určuje jejich míjivostní zápletkování a přespřekážkové ručejení, rozvinování, které rozhodně netrpí na úbytě, i doztracenkování, ale nevidím přespřílišný rozdíl v kompozicích, zde prezentovaných, a improvizacích, protože oba přístupy mají obdobné rozjiskřování a propugétování. Také Twopenny Hitch, Archerem podstatně zeditované a zreprocesované, je ždímavě propunktováno a propunkvováno do titěrné žblabonivosti a a vytěkavé produsnosti, rapotivě pohřímavé, zaličovaně fukéřové, odkryvné i pokryvné. Co se na první (nedo)poslech může jevit jako zdánlivě nedomrlé, bublá vnitřní překypností, která se jenjen třese, aby vyrazila na povrch. Takže třeba až po několikáté minutě si uvědomíme, jak je konečné znění troufalostně na(d)bíhavé, zarážlivě vypeskovávané a přes mžitkovost vlastně rudimentární. Nenechavě vydrhávanou průzorností jsou nadány Crackerjack Favours, plné tetelivé pídivosti a odhadovačně podujaté. Mírnyxdýrnyx se všihni prorozčilovávají, zřicují se pro(k)luznovaně do honitby, plné léček a pastí, jejich výkony jsou excitovaně nenechavé, rozkolísané, rozburcované, až rozbrázděné a končí v zapošívanosti. Grafická partitura Walta Shawa je předlohou pro Migration / Flight (z jeho migračního cyklu), vehiklující i do sebe zamykavé, rozškrtnuté do rozebíravé roztrušovanosti, šetrně prošeptné i rozhubičkované až do zardušovanosti. Vše, co jsme dosud slyšeli, je okamžitě zapomenuto při závěrečném Wayne´s World, když klavír zavelí a všichni se dají do cvalu v plné zbroji. Vše je tu plně pod kontrolou až do konečného zajíždění. A my si můžeme nad celým dvojalbem uvědomit: Kolik možností, kolik šancí, kolik zvratů tady nebylo promarněno!- ZDENEK SLABY, HISVOICE