Imagine Meeting You Here
Alister Spence and Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe
Alister Spence Music ASM 008
'Fine craftsmanship and resourceful imagination meet wild spontaneity and instrumental virtuosity in a disciplined yet liberating CD that is both accessible and boundlessly creative'. Jazzchill
'…this CD is an utter delight loaded with inspired writing that ranges from unforced eclecticism (with plenty of improv-based abstract sparks) to the recognizably big-bandlike.' Joseph Neff, The Vinyl District
Alister Spence teams up with cutting edge ensemble Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe, on Spence’s riveting five-part composition for improvising orchestra.
The project developed as part of my doctoral PhD in creative practice (music composition). I decided to write a large-scale work for improvising ensemble and approached Satoko Fujii and the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra and offered to write this work for them: the same work, called ‘Imagine Meeting You Here.’ Both Satoko and GIO were very keen about the idea and straight away suggested performances in Japan and Scotland. In February 2016 the work was performed by three of Satoko Fujii’s Orchestras in Nagoya, Kobe, and Tokyo, and in November Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra included the work in their annual festival, GioFestIX.
During a return trip to Japan in September 2017, Orchestra Kobe recorded the piece live at the Big Apple jazz club.
I was trying to create what I considered to be a balanced work in terms of energies and weight, tempo, rhythm, my ideas versus the ensembles ideas. And I also was seeking to create different improvisational contexts for solos, duos, trios, and larger ensembles from within the orchestra. Sometimes these were designed as an exploration of textural elements such as breath or key click sounds, and sometimes were more tonal.
I always felt very welcome with SFO Kobe. We had quite a lot of fun getting this project together, in spite of innumerable hair-raising moments due to my complicated composition! I am so grateful for the interest, energy, and application of all the members of the orchestra. It is such a wonderful band, full of brilliant, distinctive, dedicated improvisers. I count myself very lucky to have this opportunity to work with them.
credits
released January 18, 2019
Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe
Music composed by Alister Spence
Recorded in concert at Big Apple jazz club, Kobe, Japan, 10 September 2017
Recorded by Tetsumasa Kondo
Mixed by Tim Whitten, Sydnye
Mastered by Doug Henderson at micor-moose-berlin, Berlin
Music copyright Alister Spence (control)
Producer Alister Spence
Design Cheryl Orsini
Cover and disc photo Alister Spence
Inside sleeve photo Sue Spence
Pianist, improviser and composer, Alister Spence has established a reputation as a creative force in jazz and improvised
music in Australia and beyond. He has performed with and composed for some of the world's finest musicians.
Projects include:
Alister Spence Trio; Asteroid Ekosystem; Kira Kira with Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura;
Sensaround;
Spence/MacDonald duo; Spence/Williamson/Cantillo....more
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