Helen Petts films free improv

July 13, 2010 5:05 AM

Helen Petts is a filmmaker who helps to run the Mopomoso series of concerts. Her YT channel is a treasure trove of high-quality recordings of free improv performances.

Highlights (strictly personal!) include:

- John Russell
- Hannah Marshall, Shabaka Hutchings, Angelika Sheridan + Saba Toyozumi
- Jean Bordé, John Russell, Lu Chao-yun + Ute Voelker
- Wadada Leo Smith, Louis Moholo-Moholo + Steve Noble (Part 1, Part 2)
- Evan Parker, John Edwards + John Russell
- Footage from some of Maggie Nicols' gatherings
- Okkyung Lee + Christian Marclay

In addition to filming live performances by musicians, Petts has other filmic works, some of which can be seen on her vimeo channel.

Via August's edition of the Wire.

posted by Dim Siawns (5 comments total)

this kind of thing is infinitely more fun to play than it is to listen to. i'm still mystified why people still refer to it as free improv when there's very little about it that's free - it has as many cliches and tropes as metal or techno. step outdie them at your peril. but i like the way she films stuff - really lovely.
posted by peterkins at 5:42 AM on July 13, 2010

i'm still mystified why people still refer to it as free improv when there's very little about it that's free...

Totally true. Free will doesn't even really exist!
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 6:10 AM on July 13, 2010

Whoops, i thought improv as in improv theatre! This is jazz.
posted by storybored at 7:09 AM on July 13, 2010

This isn't jazz, this is free improv contemporary western classical music. Here's some links:

European Free Improvisation Pages
free noise sheffield
FRIMP
GRIM Marseille
Critical Studies in Improvisation
Signal to Noise
Wire
Music for People
posted by yoHighness at 10:43 AM on July 13, 2010

or...non idiomatic improvisation, as derek bailey liked to call it. actually, i think some of the music there is closer to free jazz - lol coxhill f'r instance, who is one of england's greatest national treasures.

stewart lee is very good at writing about this stuff.

and bailey's programmes about improvisation are really worth a watch, if you have the time.
posted by peterkins at 2:13 AM on July 14, 2010