The Bop Shop is extremely proud and excited to be presenting two major figures in British jazz, saxophonist Trevor Watts and pianist Veryan Weston.
We presented Watts with his large ensemble, Celebration Band early in the last decade and it was one of our most memorable concerts. But this date will be a chance to hear two premiere players in British jazz / free improvisation as a duo up close and personal.
Trevor Watts was among the first in the U.K. to embrace a free approach to improvisation. In 1965, along with percussionist John Stevens and trombonist Paul Rutherford, he formed the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, a group that pioneered the conversational approach to free improvisation in Britain. It’s a group whose members have included Evan Parker, Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Derek Bailey a/o, through the years. In the late 60s, Watts formed the group Amalgam, a band that explored the open improvisation approach, expanding more traditional jazz, folk and rock structures. The early 80s found Watts exploring rhythmic structures with his band Moire Music Ensemble, a band built on his love of improvisation and African music. Through it all, Watts has been a driving force in music that is diverse, well-focused and at the forefront of jazz and improvised music. And he has shown the way in many of the streams that have emerged from free improvisation.
Pianist Veryan Weston emerged in the late 1970s and his first recordings included duets with the great British saxophonist Lol Coxhill. His band Stinky Winkles, is legendary for their participation on the 1980 Miniatures compilation album (an album whose performances were all done in under a minute).They notoriously (and brilliantly) reduced a movement of Webern’s already reductive String Quartet, op.5 to a minute with an improvised “introduction”. His association with Trevor Watts began as a member of the Moire Music Ensemble around 1982 and has continued in various groupings to this day.
The duo has released three albums: 6 Dialogues (2001), 5 More Dialogues (2011) and Dialogues In Two Places (recorded at the 2001 Guelph Festival and 2011 in Toledo, Ohio). Don’t miss the chance to hear these two innovative and superb players in an intimate setting in the store.
Trevor Watts’ website: www.trevorwatts.co.uk
Veryan Weston’s website: veryanweston.weebly.com