Soft Bounds - Paris 2004

Here's the final Hugh Hopper post - find the other four here.

This particular band features a pair of talented French musicians along with old buddy Elton Dean. Both Sophia Domancich and Simon Goubert were subject of an earlier post, very different in style - a 2008 show of the trio D.A.G. (with Jean-Jacques Avenel) can be found here.

Now back to Hopper... this is a fairly good and very listenable audience recording from the Sunset in Paris. If you prefer, burn it to three discs in order not to interrupt the continuing flow of the music in Set 2.



Soft Bounds
Paris (FR), Sunset
November 26, 2004

Elton Dean - saxello & alto sax
Sophia Domancich - piano & fender rhodes
Hugh Hopper - bass
Simon Goubert - drums

CD1/62:19

Set 1 (47:18)
1. The Day Before (Sophia Domancich) 15:35
2. Spanish Knee (Hugh Hopper) 6:34
3. Kings and Queens (Hugh Hopper) 11:38
4. Le retour 'Emmanuel Philibert (Simon Goubert) 13:30

Set 2 (51:02)
5. Introduction (0:28)
6. Slightly All the Time (Mike Ratledge) 7:12 >
7. drum solo (7:21)

CD2/70:24

1. Gimlet Abides (Elton Dean) 9:05 >
2. First in the Wagon (Elton Dean) 14:44
3. Grey Day Blues (Elton Dean) 12:08

Set 3 (34:22)
4. One Two One Two (Hugh Hopper) 14:49
5. La part des anges (Sophia Domancich) 19:33

TT: 132:43

Sound: A-/B+
Source: audience recording
Lineage unknown

Note: many tunes are followed by short announcements

Clear Frame - Zurich 2007 (r.i.p. Hugh Hopper)

Next one for Hugh Hopper...

Funny enough I just found Soft Machine's "Fifth" (and Robert Wyatt's "Comicopera") in the summer sales that are just about to begin.

The previous posts:
Soft Machine - Donaueschingen 1971
Soft Machine - Berlin 1971
Soft Machine Legacy - Lugano 2005

I am ashamed and sorry that I was noth among the 40 or so people who attended this concert - I remember considering if I should make it, but eventually it was one of those days where I was just too exhausted...

Here's an interview with Hugh, published in early 2008, by Bebbe Colli:
http://www.cloudsandclocks.net/interviews/HHopper_interview_08.html

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Clear Frame
Zürich (Switzerland), Rote Fabrik, Clubraum
September 20, 2007

Lol Coxhill - soprano saxophone
Hugh Hopper - electric bass
Charles Hayward - drums
Orphy Robinson - vibraphone, percussion

1. Improvisation (51:54)
2. Announcement > Lover Man (7:14)
3. Improvisation (11:35)
4. Announcement > Improvisation [encore] (6:50)

TT: 77:34

Sound: A-/B+


Notes:

total audience: not more than 40 people!!!!

enclosed to torrent: scan of programme

recording: original mini-disc recording with
Sony MZ NH-700
transfer: --> wav (sonic stage) --> flac

don't sell this recording and buy the official
releases of the involved musicians.


:: ubu note ::

Lover Man came as "Improvisation"
I don't know if any of the other "Improvisations" are actual compositions.

Soft Machine - Berlin 1971

Number 3 in the small series dedicated to the late Hugh Hopper.
There will be two more, both audience recordings in acceptable sound, one by Soft Heap and one by Clear Frame. They'll be posted on the weekend, I hope.

Today's Guardian contains an obituary which can be read online as well.

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Soft Machine
Berlin (DE), Jazzfest
November 7, 1971

Elton Dean - alto sax, saxello, electric piano
Mike Ratledge - organ, electric piano
Hugh Hopper - bass
Phil Howard - drums

1. FM intro (0:26)
2. Neo-Caliban Grides (6:08) >
3. All White (5:56) >
4. Slightly All The Time (13:23) >
5. Drop (7:43) >
6. M.C. (2:40) >
7. Out-Bloody-Rageous (15:01) >
8. Pigling Bland > FM outro (6:15)

TT: 57:37

Sound: A-/B+
Source: radio broadcast (host: Achim Hebgen)
Lineage: rb > ? > dime > CDR > EAC (secure, log) > FLAC (8,asb,verify)


This is one of a few radio broadcasts this lineup did in late 1971 - probably the most jazzy the Softs ever got. The sound isn't great, but it's quite listenable.

The original was seeded (last year, I think) as one continuous track - I converted it to AIFF using MacFLAC 2.1.2, edited it with Audacity, and converted it back to FLAC.

Soft Machine Legacy - Estival Jazz 2005 (r.i.p. Hugh Hopper)

Number two of the Hugh Hopper posts, this again features old buddy and also recently deceased and much missed Elton Dean. John Etheridge is on guitar here, and Liam Genockey on drums.

This is my own mono/minidisc recording and I don't see it fit for dime, but it certainly sounds good to my ears! I'm not sure if I've missed the SBD over on dime (many Estival Jazz concerts are shared in perfect SBD quality), or if I decided to skip it and just keep what I've got... hope you don't mind and enjoy it like this!

Here are the covers for the SBD, the setlist on the traycard is the same but the timings and announcements differ a bit, likely they cut out some bits of applause for the broadcast, hence my tracks are shorter.




There's a recent video of the post-Dean edition (with Theo Travis on tenor sax) of this band from July 27, 2008 at the Jazzaldia Festival in Donostia-San Sebastian here. Of course you'll find much more on Youtube!

Finally, here's a great photo of the Carla Bley Band that included both Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper (subject of this earlier post). Funny enough, I already posted this photo but not where it should be, but rather with a 1978 Bley concert, so allow me to repeat myself and post it out of context once more. The source is this great Elton Dean page.



Soft Machine Legacy
Estival Jazz 2005
Mendrisio (CH), Piazzale alla Valle
July 1, 2005

Elton Dean - alto & soprano sax, saxello, fender rhodes
John Etheridge - guitar
Hugh Hopper - electric bass
Liam Genockey - drums

1. Ash (13:35)
2. Seven for Lee (8:40)
3. Baker's Treat (6:40)
4. 1212 (9:55)
5. Kings & Queens (25:39)
FM outro (0:25)

TT: 64:56

Sound: A/A- (mono)
Source: RSI 2 "Live di mezzanotte" / 2007-07-25
Lineage: FM > HD > Cool Edit Pro > FLAC (8,asb,verify)
Recorded & shared by ubu