Toward the Margins

Evan Parker, the British saxophonist, was among the first musicians to record for the ECM label. As early as 1970, he appeared on ECM's fifth album as part of the Music Improvisation Company, which also included electronic composer and Stockhausen collaborator Hugh Davies. Parker has been intensively involved with electronics for more than three decades and has collaborated extensively with both improvisational artists who use electronic means and composers in the field of electronic music. In 1992, he founded the Electro-Acoustic Ensemble to explore the possibilities of live electronics in improvisation even more comprehensively—a field that has become increasingly sophisticated due to technological developments. This ensemble brings together musicians from the fields of free improvisation, jazz, contemporary composition, and computer-aided music research; many members are active in multiple styles or disciplines. The Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble has performed worldwide and made its North American debut at the Victoriaville Festival, which was hailed by critics as the festival's standout highlight: "Orchestral music with a wide sonic range, full of spatial nuances... overlapping layers that are constantly changing... the electronic processing gave the music the character of spontaneous discovery" (Cadence); "Passionate, large-scale... expansive concepts that combine improvisational elements with MIDI-based communication" (Jazz Times).