Mick Beck
Tenor sax, bassoon and whistles
The Guardian, May 2005: "Beck's abstract resources extend to all manner of
whistles and squeals, but his tenor sax playing is a resourceful development
of Evan Parker's".
Current projects include:
Brief History
As an improvising big band leader to solo performer, Mick is known for his energy and originality: his playing covers the full emotional gamut from heartbreaking to mischievous, and from abstracts to compelling swing.
His improvising big band Feet Packets was unique in the UK and influential
in the late 1980s. In the 1990s he led many small groups including the
powerful free jazz trio Something Else with Paul Hession and Simon Fell,
which released two acclaimed CDs. Since the nillennium, Beck's
ground-breaking work with the mysterious and humorous bassoon,
supplemented by his use of other wind instruments add many new sounds and
moods. His technical innovations and musical ideas are often a source of
inspiration to his collaborators on stage, and hehe works with many of free
music's best-known exponents. He is based in Sheffield, plays regularly
in London and elsewhere in the UK, and from time to time in Spain, Germany,
Austria, Canada and Australia.
He has worked with many great musicians from saxists J.D. Parran to Alan
Wilkinson, from guitarists Derek Bailey to Hugh Metcalf, from
percussionists Tony Buck to Steve Noble and Paul Hession, from bassists
Marcio Mattos to Rainer Kuhn and Simon Fell, from pianists Chris Burn to
Stephen Grew and Pat Thomas.
Mick promotes concerts from time to time in Sheffield, and organises tours
for his various groups.
Contact details:
78 Kingfield Rd, Sheffield S11 9AU, England.
Telephone 0044 (0)114 258 4999.
An innovative instrumentalist and composer
Jazzwise November 2005: "…pushed along by beck's scorching post-Ayler tenor
sax";
Cadence Jazz Records no. 1164: "Able to double- and triple-tongue on a
double reed, he creates dissonant textures you wouldn't associate with the
usual orchestral instrument".
The Wire: "He plays the tenor with conviction that can border on
lawlessness", and "Mick Beck has been causing jaws to drop … He
has been doing it by playing the bassoon … He is now getting something
personal and unheralded out of the bassoon".
Gated Community - In 2005 Beck initiated a new 15-piece workshop band to re-explore the interaction of composition and improvisation. Ideal for festival performances.
Solo tours particularly featuring bassoon, eg Madrid, Barcelona, Australia, London.
Work with master drummer Paul Hession as a duo (recent tours to Canada and Germany), and with other musicians (e.g., Derek Bailey leading to issue of CD Meanwhile back in Sheffield (May 2005); Dave Tucker leading to CD Shkrang: Some thoughts about, to be issued shortly); Matt Wand; Tom Jenkinson; Steve Beresford; Pat Thomas leading to CD The Three Bs; Milo Fine leading to CD Motion Ejecta; J.D. Parran.
Beck/Drenching/Pleasure, bassoon, bricks, and Dictaphones, live performances plus CD Live at HOTS-OD, plus new release "A low carbonation" to be issued shortly.
Member of Stephen Grew's Grew Trio (CDs … To Play Music, and It's Morning).
Beck/Lunch Improvors (bassoon plus writer/poet Out to Lunch Ben Watson);
Member of Hugh Metcalfe's Microtonal Megastars, with Hugh on guitar and drum, and Alan Durant on bass.
Work with some DJ and electronics artists, e.g. Tom Jenkinson (Norwich and London as part of the Squarepusher tour November 2005), and with UTT Foster and Martin Archer in Varispeed.
Jazz groups working mainly with his own compositions, eg Linden Owen's The Big Clutch (Monmouth Music Festival 2005), and other players such as Pete Fairclough (drums) Pietro Lusvardi (bass).