The Mujician returns

The solitary Steinway grand is dwarfed by the enormous rack of organ pipes rising behind the wide Conservatoire stage. The audience applauds as a single dark-clad figure takes his seat at the piano and then a pin-drop hush descends. After a moment’s silence the playing begins, a lowering deep theme introducing a light, romantic melody line. It is the beginning of 45 minutes of continuous music that will range through tight baroque moments, flashes of Stravinsky or Messaien, complex soundstorms, pulsing grooves and more. At one point a thunderous rumble evolves into Danny Boy, only to subside and make way for a burst of bar-room jazz. Throughout the performance the player revels in the enormous vocabulary of sounds and styles available to him, whether using objects like woodblocks and pebbles on the piano strings or using refined playing techniques that give the music its colour, character and soul. When he finishes there is, once again, a long and appreciative silence before waves of applause break through the spell of the moment.

What is amazing is that this music was entirely made up on the day by Keith Tippett, one of the acknowledged masters of contemporary improvisation, and had the Italian organisers not made a recording of the concert it would have never been heard again. Happily it has now been released as Mujician Solo IV – Live in Piacenza (Dark Companion Records DC 001) with a limited edition of hand-numbered copies – though Bristol-born Keith wasn’t initially in favour of the idea. Talking in his Cotswold cottage home just North of Bristol he explained:

“I’ve been sitting on it for a couple of years. I hadn’t had any thought of capturing that concert – I’d come straight from doing a masterclass and hadn’t had any time to prepare. Afterwards they were pushing me to release it but I wasn’t sure. It’s got to be a bit special for me to think of releasing something. Eventually I said yes and I’m glad now – I think it adds to my solo work.”

Hence the title, which refers to a previous trilogy of live solo albums Keith made in the 80s under the name Mujician (a mispronunciation then bestowed on him by young daughter Inca). Having emerged from Bristol as one of the stars of the late 60s UK jazz scene he’d come to solo performances out of necessity:

“It was Thatcherism drove me to it! In the 80s we couldn’t get the money to run a quartet so I gave it a go. I did my first solo gig in the Netherlands.”

Wasn’t it a bit daunting?

“Surprisingly not – I always do get a bit nervous beforehand but once I’m on stage it’s a very private space. Now I know I can do it, of course, after thousands of people over 40-odd years, but it’s important there’s a communion with the audience. I want to remove them from chronological time and leave them with an afterglow.”

But with nothing planned and an expectant audience doesn’t he ever get stuck?

“It’s a big canvas and you’ve got an hour to fill but 99% of the time on stage I’m OK. I do my best creativity with my unconscious mind and even now my fingers can sometimes surprise me: (at Piacenza) Danny Boy just emerged when it did – I struggled a bit to remember the notes! But if I ever do get stuck I’m experienced enough to wriggle out and head for pastures new.”

It’s impressive that the new album, thirty years after its solo predecessor Mujician III, is both fresh sounding and yet immediately recognisable as a Keith Tippett piece:

“Well the honing and polishing will go on forever but basically (my solo playing) is what it is, with all its strengths and weaknesses. You can’t get rid of what’s in your DNA or you wouldn’t be you.”

Of course some people have preconceptions about improvised music – and not always good ones:

“Yes. At some point I got an unfair reputation that my music was austere but I absolutely refute that. I would say that I’m actually a highly melodic – even romantic – player, for better or for worse.”

And that’s an assertion borne out by Mujician IV – Live in Piacenza, too. The album, including limited edition numbered copies, is available from Dark Companion Records

Pictures: Tim Dickenson