JAZZ
BILL WELLS OCTET FEATURING LOL COXHILL Cowane Theatre, Stirling,
Sat 3 Mar.
ill Wells is a man of many Btalents, some less instantly
apparent than others. He plays both keyboards and bass, but his real forte is composition, and his Octet provided an exhilarating jazz vehicle for his music, producing a kind of controlled anarchy that was their distinctive trademark. In recent times, though, he has been working in a variety of acclaimed pop settings, beginning with an association with Stephen McRobbie of The Pastels, which opened doors in all kinds of directions.
He is currently also involved with Glasgow left-field luminaries like V- Twin and Future Pilot AKA, as well as several ventures with Stevie Jackson and Isobel Campbell from Belle And Sebastian, including the trio with Jackson and trumpeter Robert Henderson featured on his recent Incorrect Practice disc for McRobbie’s Geographic label.
‘I started my trio as a way of paring down the octet, which is very difficult to keep going. Stevie and Robert gave me someone from the jazz side and someone from the pop, and the sound is generally quite spare, sometimes with just harmonica, muted trumpet and
He is currently working with V-Twin, Future Pilot AKA, as well as Stevie Jackson and Isobel Campbell from Belle & Sebastian
piano. I can use samples to fill it out if I want, but that combination really seemed to gel as a sound.’
The Octet’s last outing was for BBC Choice’s Beat Room last year, and Bill reckons the band have ‘probably done about a gig a year for the last five years’. The current opportunity arose out of a meeting with improvising saxophonist Lol Coxhill, a man with a semi-legendary standing in British free improvisation circles. ‘George Burt and Raymond MacDonald brought
ROCWPOP
SINGLE POINT OF LIGHT 13th Note Cafe, Glasgow, 1 Mar then every Thu until 29 Mar.
The concept of the t3th Note residency. started late last year. bestows a chosen band with the freedom of the cafe for one evening per week during an allotted month. And so far. with generally interesting results: eclectic line-ups. homely acoustic nights. interesting collaborations and the odd concept gig. In March, the baton is passed on to Single Point Of Light (not SPOL. please). and in the comfon of their newly adopted
Bill Wells has a way with numbers
him up to Glasgow to play with them one weekend last summer, and while he was here l recorded with him. Basically I just played some rhythmic loops and he improvised over the top of them. I put together about half an hour of finished tracks with the octet added, which is coming out as a vinyl record on the French label Textile. It was on the strength of that I got this gig, and was able to ask him to come up. Hopefully, it will coincide with the release of the record. Lol is basically a featured soloist, because it was all built around what he had already done, but I’ll probably try to integrate him a bit more into the band as well. This will be the first time we have actually attempted that material live. It's mostly new stuff, but I might dig out something older. We’ll see how it goes.’ (Kenny Mathieson)
I In addition to the Octet gig, Wells and Coxhill W/// iorn George Burt, Raymond MacDonald and Allen Beauvoisin to improvise over Wel/s' choice of 50 Greatest Riffs at the 73th Note Club in Glasgow, Fri 2 Mar. Just to confuse matters. The Bill Wells Trio W/// a/SO be p/ay/ng at the 13th Note Cafe. Glasgow, Sun 4 Mar.
White ‘Iight white heat
home they illuminate their plans for the month.
Rodge Glass. one fourth of the multi- tasking quartetsets the scene: ‘We've tried to make the residency as wide- ranging and interesting as possible by not only booking bands but artists too. to keep it diverse. open-minded. and accessible. People should be able to come along to any or all of the nights and feel equally comfortable.‘
Local artists feature on three Thursdays of the five. but perhaps the biggest departure from the usual residency template is the Writers Night (8
44 THE LIST 1—15 Mar 2001
March). featuring readings by local writers including Ann Donovan. The idea. it seems. was always to make their month that little bit speCial. ‘What we didn‘t want was a whole bunch of similar-setinding bands.’ McConnel confirms. 'No matter what night people come. they'll be seeing things they wouldn‘t normally see at a gig. That is guaranteed.”
As for musical highlights. 'Lapsus Linguae (22 March) are gods.‘ McConnel rightfully posns. ‘Aether Flux (29 Marchl are really interesting, sample-led floaty chaos. Squander Pilots i153 March) are
dub-psycho-disco-funk—punk iunk.‘
‘They're fucking great.’ Carlin affirms. ‘Their music lS really similar to Ours in that it's really forward pushing and expansive. they're not afraid to experiment and they've got tunes.‘
Ah yes. what of the hosts? ‘We'll get more chance than usual to experiment by playing five Thursdays in a row.‘ Glass says. confirming their weekly duty. 'But we're playing a different set every time. so people aren‘t gong to be dulled by it.‘ As if the promismg light emanating from the 'Note this March c0u|d be dulled at all. iJan F Zeschy)
musicelist.co.uk
Surface nonse
All the hooting, looting and drive-b -shootin in the won erfu/ word of music
CONTINUING llttllt H“ N[‘ lt‘l tlltltl t‘li islands. Motivate tireletxl are stagina a show. at Hothesat Human. lw‘tite on 1-2 April. itdt“ at the 1000 llt‘ht?ltl Will int‘ltitle return tia\el finni t'ilasgiov. to the Isle and include admission to Renlrev. tern, tor a club night afteitx'aids. Mogwai's new album lite
Rock Action is released
on 91% April on Saiithpaw,
l'
i‘l
BIG BLUES MAN 88 King comes to play Glenkinchie In The Gardens, at Princes Street Gardens on 8 July.
IN THE WAKF Of all their internal wranglings All Saints' live shows have been cancelled. Refunds are available from p0int of purchase.
LADYFEST SCOTLAND TAKES over the 13th Note venues in Glasgow for three days of music, spoken word, art, performance art, workshops and dance cultures on 12-14 August. 9 March sees a fundraiser and preview of the festival at the 13th Note Club with a broad selection of acts appeanng.
DUE TO THAT old chestnut the ‘phenomenal demand' (is demand ever not phenomenal?l. spunky lrish indie types Ash's show at Glasgow's OMU has been moved up to Barrowland. Original tickets are still valid. STEREOPHONICS HAVE BROKEN box office records for selling out their show at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on 15 Mar in an hour. This and their date in Aberdeen are now completely sold out.
FOR NEWS OF all the latest announced gigs. check Out Book Now on page 47.