ODG042 : Roland Binet / Dreamprovise

Covert art: A.L.

ODG042 : Roland Binet / Dreamprovise

For this impromptu session under the leadership of flutist Roland Binet, Guy Segers (Univers Zero, Uneven Eleven …), his friend and former co-musician at the beginning of the seventies, chose two other musicians whose talent, musicality and adaptation capacity were on a par with the challenge of a totally new and largely improvised music that did not correspond to any known musical concepts (rock, jazz, contemporary, fusion).

Roland Binet’s music, although founded on a multitude of world influences (jazz, classical and contemporary music, Asian scales, atonal and modal music, etc.) tends to free itself from the usual rock and jazz rhythmic and harmonic constraints in order to create a music based on musical ‘moods’, but with a stylistic continuity that centers around the intense way the flute (and saxophone) are played.  His warm sound and vibrato on the flute owes much to jazzman Eric Dolphy and classical flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal.  Although he has taken up the tenor saxophone which he plays in a rather free style, his proficiency on that instrument is not on a par with his nearly professional level on the flute.

Apart from some totally improvised numbers (‘D Rag’ or ‘Kermesse de Village’ for example), each tune had an overall concept with fixed or free harmony, but, basically, 90 % of what you will hear in this recording was improvised on the spot, and, generally – due to the high level of musicality of the members of this impromptu quartet -, one single take was sufficient.  Three compositions by Roland Binet are played solo on the flute with a computerized arrangement, while one single title (‘Naima’) is a flute solo tribute to that great jazzman John Coltrane.  

Musicians:
Roland Binet: flute, tenor saxophone, compositions, head arrangements.

In the past:

He has been playing the flute as his main instrument since 1967; he participated in the recording of a single with a rock/variety group at the end of the sixties. Played less than a year with two future members of Univers Zéro at the beginning of the seventies (Guy Segers and Roger Trigaux) in a quartet called ‘Cubical Sock’. Played a flute solo of 50 minutes of totally improvised music in 1977 at the ‘24 Hours of Communication at the Palais des Beaux-Arts of Brussels’.  He played with the WIM Big Band of Fred van Hove in 1978, and played a flute solo live on the radio in February 1979 during Marc Moulin’s RTBF radio program ‘Bien Dégagé sur les Oreilles’.  After that, during a long period, he concentrated on developing his own musical ideas and composing.

Recent activity:

In 2014, he has recorded and issued a CD of his own solo flute compositions (7 in total) in honor of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in the Baltic States entitled ‘A Jewish Tragedy; a few hundred copies of which were offered free to the Museum of the Holocaust in Riga/Latvia to give as a present to the interested visitors.  This CD is available on the principal music websites outlets.

Andy Kirk: keyboard, guitar, head arrangements (discography):

Singer, composer, he plays the keyboard, the guitar, writes arrangements.

London-born, he has been living in Belgium (Charleroi Region) since a few years.

In the Past:

From Mexico to the Czech Republic, from the Scandinavian countries to Italy,   Andy Kirk has performed on different international scenes with a variety of groups.  Among these, his main and largest past collaboration has been with the cult group Univers Zero (records and concerts). He has also played with and composed for Albert Delchambre

Recent activity:

- Andy Kirk sings Peter Gabriel

Andy Kirk has sung Peter Gabriel’s songs in public since a number of years.

These form an integral part of his own programs and have been at the source of his own compositions in his solo and group concerts all during his musical journey (cf.: "Andy Kirk & The HEATMAKERS", "FAITH", "KHAZMA") with William DUNKER on the bass.

- Emergent Sea

A "Rock" multifaceted project, this group plays French ‘Chansons’ as well as free music and refers to other musical styles as well.  The repertoire consists of own compositions and rearranged (mainly rock) oldies.

Guy Segers: bass guitar, head arrangements

In the past:

Plays the bass guitar since 1965, 1^st recording "Hérésie" with UNIVERS ZERO (1978), the cult group he played 10 years with (concerts all over Europe). Later on, he played with some prestigious groups: WIM BIG BAND (with Albert MANGELSDORF, Peter BROTZMANN, etc.), PRESENT, ART ZOYD, X-LEGGED SALLY, GALILEO'S LEFT WING, Princess Mansia M'BILA, Pierre VERVLOESEM, Tim HODGKINSON (with Dagmar KRAUSE), GUTS, Franck BALESTRACCI, FINNEGANS WAKE, the MORTON FORK GANG, ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE, ACID MOTHERS GURU GURU & GONG (with Daevid ALLEN), Morgan AGREN, Simon STEENSLAND, UNEVEN ELEVEN. 

Recent activity:

- Emergent Sea with, among others, Andy Kirk

- Uneven Eleven an international trio with Makoto Kawabata (Japan) and Charles Hayward (UK).

- Has begun a systematic review and computerized arrangement of all his past compositions since the end of the seventies, which amount to several dozens.

Dirk Wachtelaer: drums, head arrangements (discography):

In the past:

- Has played in different theatrical performances 

- Has toured with  Bill LASWELL, Raul BJÖRKENHEIM, Toshinori KONDO, Trevor WATTS, Zeena PARKINS, Jim O' ROURKE, David TOOP, GALILEO'S LEFT WING, Luc MISHALLE, Pierre BASTIEN, Paul LYTTON, Otomo YOSHIHIDE, Dj GRAZZHOPPA, etc.

Recent activity:

- Vanishing Pictures is his personal project, a mixture of acoustical and electronic approach of the drums with other percussionists from a wide variety of musical horizons.

Digital only releases on the 18th of September 2015.

Trak listing:

1: D Rag

2: Pour Francine

3: Souvenirs du Japon

4: Black Mood

5: Ases Tod

6: Kimigayo

7: Infinity

8: Black and White Kika

9: Kermesse de village

10: To David

11: Wise On

12: Pour Guy

13: Madness

14: Naïma

Listen to Black Mood here: