EVAN PARKER - The Ayes Have It (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

According to producer Martin Davidson, these two recordings (tracks one through four, and track five) were not released earlier because each was simply too short to fill an entire CD. Each features a group led by Evan Parker that only performed once as a unit. Parker is in his usually good form at both sessions, which were recorded more than seven years apart. Nonetheless, the two recordings are very different, due to the personalities of his colleagues. The first four tracks (recorded in 1983) are less than ten minutes each, and, without detracting from Parker's fine efforts, the distinguishing characteristics come from Paul Rogers' energetic bass and Jamie Muir's unusual contributions on percussion and toys -- the latter of which, although used highly selectively, adds a fascinating dimension. The 36-minute track (recorded in 1991) with the superb Dutch trombonist Wolter Wierbos offers an extremely rare opportunity to hear him with Parker in a small group. The results do not disappoint in the least -- although apparently due to the extreme heat and humidity, the trombonist stopped playing midway through the nearly 40-minute performance because of problems with his contact lens. Until then, Wierbos is in top form, the similarities to the playing of trombonist George Lewis evident in part, but with this artist displaying a more primitive-sounding approach. While the two sessions have ostensibly little in common (other than the common appearances of Parker and Rogers, and both having been recorded in London, England), each easily stands on its own as an excellent example of the free improvisational spirit of the period. Steve Loewy  
Tracklist :
1    Aye 1    9:16
2    Aye 2    4:02
3    Aye 3    8:54
4    Aye 4    9:29
5    The Eyes Have It 36:30
Paul Rogers - double bass
Percussion, Music By – Mark Sanders
Evan Parker - soprano & tenor saxophones
Trombone, Music By – Wolter Wierbos
Credits :
1-4
Percussion, Toy [Toys] – Jamie Muir
Soprano Saxophone – Evan Parker
Double Bass – Paul Rogers

EVAN PARKER - Free Zone Appleby 2002 + Free Zone Appleby 2003 (2003-2004) 3CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Free Zone Appleby 2002
(2003, psi – psi 03.02/3) 2CD
This double-CD set documents the "Free Zone" feature of the 2002 Appleby Jazz Festival. All these performances were captured live at the acoustically rich St. Michael's Church in Appleby (England). A pool of eight free improvisers, some well-known (Evan Parker, Philipp Wachsmann, Marcio Mattos, John Edwards, Mark Sanders) and others still cruelly under-recorded (Neil Metcalfe, John Rangecroft, Sylvia Hallett), spontaneously combine their skills in a series of ad hoc duets, trios, quartets, and a final octet. It is not said if the pieces are presented in the order of performance, but considering the symmetry with which each disc unfolds, one guesses that some editing and sequencing came into play to make the listening experience more pleasurable. Each CD starts with a solo performance: Hallett's captivating voice-and-violin dirge "Whitethroat" and Edwards' bass solo "Pin Drop." Then the groups gradually grow larger. With a total duration of over 150 minutes, Free Zone Appleby 2002 is a generous set, too generous for a single sitting (the sequencing of the discs as separate entities comes in handy), and highlights abound. But the two outstanding pieces are provided by the rhythm section (using the term oh so loosely) of Edwards and Sanders as they engage with Rangecroft in "Subject Matters" and Hallett in "Phantoms." They gracefully adapt their playing to these two very different musicians -- Rangecroft being a more pragmatic, intellectual player, while Hallett operates on a more atavistic or spiritual level. After such focused music, "Morsman Octet" comes as a light disappointment: the group has a hard time getting the music to flow effortlessly. But that's hardly a turnoff, only a somehow anticlimactic finale. François Couture  
Tracklist :
1-1    Gong (For Phil Seamen)    0:16
1-2    Whitethroat    17:17
1-3    Re Eden    9:53
1-4    Subject Matters    16:31
1-5    Dunsany    14:06
1-6    Ferber String Quartet    20:09
2-1    Pin Drop    15:03
2-2    Sense    9:19
2-3    Phantoms    10:56
2-4    Pica Pica    7:28
2-5    Mgt4all    15:08
2-6    Morsman Octet    16:16
Credits :
Bass – John Edwards (pistas: 1-4, 1-6, 2-1, 2-3, 2-6)
Cello – Marcio Mattos (pistas: 1-5, 1-6, 2-4 to 2-6)
Clarinet – John Rangecroft (pistas: 1-3 to 1-5, 2-6)
Flute – Neil Metcalfe (pistas: 1-5, 2-2, 2-5, 2-6)
Painting [Paintings] – Phil Morsman
Percussion – Mark Sanders (pistas: 1-4, 2-3, 2-5, 2-6)
Soprano Saxophone – Evan Parker (pistas: 1-1, 1-3, 2-6)
Violin, Electronics – Philipp Wachsmann (pistas: 1-6, 2-2, 2-6)
Violin, Voice, Sarangi – Sylvia Hallett (pistas: 1-2, 1-5, 1-6, 2-3 to 2-6)

Free Zone Appleby 2003
(2004, psi – psi 04.05)
This release from PSI Records has all the markings of its affiliated and prestigious Emanem label: a stable of (mostly) London-based free-style improvisers who are associated with Emanem; extraordinary musicianship, with all the music freely improvised; and very good recording fidelity. Taken from the Appleby Jazz Festival in 2003, the collection centers around the string quartet of bassist John Edwards, violinists Sylvia Hallett and Philipp Wachsmann, and cellist Marcio Mattos, with eight musicians in the aggregate participating, including the well-known Evan Parker and Kenny Wheeler. The groups are varied, so that there are a couple of duos, and various quartets and quintets. While the quality of the performances is uniformly high, and there are wonderful moments almost everywhere, it is perhaps surprising that the best tracks (such as "S4-1"), that is, those that challenge the listener the most and contain the most variety emotionally, are the ones featuring the core string quartet. The finely executed "S4/TC-2," in which Tony Coe's clarinet melds gently with the hushed cries of the string quartet, presents a distinctly sophisticated and tuneful chamber feel, something that characterizes much of the album. Wheeler is a strong addition to the few tracks on which he plays, focusing on a genre of lyrical free improvisation in which he is most effective. Evan Parker's appearances are slightly disappointing, if only because he appears so infrequently and his anticipated duo with Wheeler on "W2-1" is somewhat of a letdown. Nonetheless, the album does offer the opportunity to hear him in different contexts than usual. While hardly indispensable, Free Zone Appleby offers yet another glimpse into the astonishingly creative world of British free improvisation. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
1    S4-1 3:14
2    S4/TC-1 4:58
3    S4-2 5:05
4    W2-1 4:56
5    S4/KW-1 2:42
6    S4-3 4:12
7    S4/EP 5:18
8    S4-4 8:13
9    W2-2 3:13
10    S4/KW-2 7:47
11    S4-5 6:32
12    S4/TC-2 3:19
13    W4/JE 8:53
14    S4/AH 7:16
Credits :
Bass – John Edwards
Cello – Marcio Mattos
Clarinet – Alan Hacker, Tony Coe
Flugelhorn –  Sylvia Hallett
Painting – Phil Morsman
Soprano Saxophone – Evan Parker
Violin, Electronics – Philipp Wachsmann
Violin, Voice, Sarangi – Sylvia Hallett

JAH WOBBLE & EVAN PARKER - Passage to Hades (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Taking as their inspiration the Greek myth of Orpheus, European improv king Evan Parker (tenor and soprano saxophone) and Invaders of the Heart alumni Clive Bell and Jean-Pierre Rasle invest in a series of stark, repetitive bass and drum structures on Passage to Hades. At the music's core is the rhythm axis of Jah Wobble and Mark Sanders. The duo maps out the territory, delivering all that's required and more through minimal means. It's a refreshing change of scenery for Parker, who's normally heard in avant-garde ensembles or blazing solo performances. Here, he's confined to a stark, muscular groove and he responds beautifully. Like the later recordings by John Coltrane (an early influence), the saxophonist unleashes an abundance of dialog on his instruments, though he never quite reaches the torrents of sound one might expect. Driven by his conception of rhythm, rather than conventional lyricism, Parker's blurry lines circle, flutter, and throb as they pour from his instrument. The slow procession of the title track kicks things off. Wobble never strays from his simple assignment, managing to make the elementary bassline sound totally engaging across 13-plus minutes. This is his dub sensibility at work: start with the essentials. Bell's harmonica and Thai pi flute and Ralse's bagpipes thread the mix like Augustus Pablo melodica lines and reverb-drenched keyboard fragments, tangling with Parker's sax. None of these songs are concerned with conventional structure beyond the patterns laid out at the start. The journey, rather, is in the way the players mine the groove with resourcefulness and restraint that always adds to the overall power. Nathan Bush  
Tracklist :
1    Passage To Hades 13:36
Bagpipes – Jean-Pierre Rasle
Harmonica, Flute [Thai Pi Saw] – Clive Bell
Tenor Saxophone – Evan Parker
Bass – Jah Wobble
Drums – Mark Sanders
2    Giving Up The Ghost 14:03
Soprano Saxophone – Evan Parker
Bass – Jah Wobble
Drums – Mark Sanders
3    Full On 8:57
Horn [Stereo Goathorns] – Clive Bell
Soprano Saxophone – Evan Parker
Bass – Jah Wobble
Drums – Mark Sanders
4    Finally Cracked It 13:39
Crumhorn – Jean-Pierre Rasle
Flute – Clive Bell
Tenor Saxophone – Evan Parker  
Bass – Jah Wobble
Drums – Mark Sanders

ASHLEY WALES | EVAN PARKER | JOHN COXON | MARK SANDERS - Trio With Interludes (2004) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Untitled 4:14
2    Untitled 1:03
3    Untitled 7:42
4    Untitled 1:13
5    Untitled 8:33
6    Untitled 1:30
7    Untitled 7:02
8    Untitled 0:41
9    Untitled 7:53
10    Untitled 4:50
11    Untitled 2:48
12    Untitled 1:10
13    Untitled 3:22
Credits :
Composed By – Wales, Parker, Coxon, Sanders
Drums, Percussion – Mark Sanders
Piano, Bass Drum, Other [Riveted Tambour, Flannel] – Ashley Wales
Synthesizer [Roland Mks-80], Piano, Harpsichord, Guitar [National Trojan], Other [Riveted Tambour] – John Coxon
Tenor Saxophone – Evan Parker