Artist: Steve Noble

Date of Release: 01/01/2000

Catalogue no: BDV 9403

Label: Babel

Price: £12

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Track Listing

The Shakedown Club can be regarded as part of the new wave of rock/jazz improvisation groups. As well as two U.K. tours, and work with David Leister's Kino Club at the Royal Festival Hall and ICA, recent performances have included Glasgow Jazz Festival, the European Autumn Festival at Olbia in Sardinia and a video spectacular celebrating the Summer Solstice at Bocca d'Arno in Italy. Steve Noble plays drums, percussion, turntables, saw, bugle, harmonica; Billy Jenkins plays guitar, keyboards, Scalextric cars, hairdriers and Roberto Bellatalla plays double bass.

The members of the trio have played with various artists ranging from pop through to dance and poetry.

Steve Noble performed with rock group Rip, Rig and Panic with Neneh Cherry, Bow Gamelan, poet Brian Gysin, and dancer Katie Duck's Group O. He has been involved in a number of Derek Bailey's Company projects - including the legendary 1987 week with Lee Konitz (Incus CD - Once). He featured in Derek Bailey's recent Channel 4 television series on improvisation, 'On The Edge', and over the last year has worked with the Hans Koch Big Band in Switzerland and in Munich, and with Paul Rogers and Tony Bevin (new CD on Incus). He has also toured twice with American guitarist Davey Williams and tuba player Oren Marshall. His album with Alex Maguire was one of the top 10 jazz albums of the 1980s in the Guardian newspaper and his duo with Alex Ward was voted one of the top albums of 1991 in The Wire. An Arts Council tour with Alex Maguire took place in early 1994.

Billy Jenkins has moved through the rock and pop scene to play in the band Burlesque, Trimmer and Jenkins and Ginger Baker's Nutters. He also worked with The Comic Strip. He has now led his Voice Of God Collective for 10 years with 3 CDs and over 20 releases. An Arts Council Contemporary Music Network tour scheduled for 1996. German magazine 'Jazz Podium' described Billy as 'one of the most innovative musicians in Britain today' (Peter Bastian). 'Guitar god' (Keith Bruce, Glasgow Herald)

Roberto Bellatalla, originally from Italy, spent a period in Amsterdam before settling in England. Throughout he has been involved at the forefront of the improvised jazz movement, with, for example, Tristan Honsinger, and the group 'Dreamtime' and Louis Moholo in his group 'Viva La Black' (including its first tour of South Africa). He has also appeared with Radu Malfatti, and took part in a tour in 1989 in the Keith Tippett String Trio with Marcio Mattos. Recent engagements include Switzerland, Rome, Wuppertal, Moscow and Berlin, and Jazz Europa in Bari.

Reviews

01/01/2000 Ronald Atkins, The Guardian

'The frantic side of free improvisation with plenty oflaughs on the way. Drummer Steve Noble, Britain's answer to Han Bennink, wages musical war with madcap guitarist Billy Jenkins. Referee is Italian virtuoso bassist Roberto Bellatalla.'

01/01/2000 Ben Watson, Northern Star.

'Some of the greatest music that you will hear in a lifetime.'

01/01/2000 Kenny Mathieson, The Scotsman

'Anarchic splendour, juxtaposing inspired playing with hilarious nonsense in the high energy twists, turns and tumbles of their music.'

01/01/2000 Hi-Fi News

'Some rivettingly unprecedented textures. Moments of raunchy heavy rock disappear into strangely magical twitterings and ludicrous repartee.'

01/01/2000 Penguin Guide to Jazz.

'recommended ****'

01/01/2000 Martin Longley, Birmingham What's On

'They hang loose in a locked improvisational closet, ranging in extremes far more than most comparable combos. Rimitive and delicate, the Shakedowners excel in both camps.'