English tenor & soprano saxophonist Evan Parker will be touring Europe in February and April 2016 in the framework of “Take the Green Train” project run by the Europe Jazz Network and Julie’s Bicycle.
Evan Parker is one of Europe’s most renowned saxophonists. He emerged in the 70’s as a leading figure in the movement that combined the norms-breaking energy of American free jazz of Albert Ayler and John Coltrane with the expressive freedom of European historic avant-garde. Since then he has been extremely active in many projects in the jazz and improvised music field, performing in solos or in large and small ensembles, always continuing the exploration of the dramatic and narrative potentials of his instrument in relation to instant composition.
The first round of concerts will see him on the 17 February in Rome (DalVerme club), on the 18 February in Pisa (Teatro S. Andrea), 19 February in Venezia (SET UP – Punta della Dogana) and 20 February in Fermo (Pinacoteca comunale, Palazzo Priori). The April part of the tour will focus on the north of Europe including UK, Germany and neighbouring countries. The final schedule will be announced soon.
The tour is part of “Take the Green Train”, a 3-year project funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and run by Europe Jazz Network (EJN) and Julie’s Bicycle with the objective of addressing environmental sustainability in the jazz community from the perspective of events organisers and artists.
Part of this project is the implementation of the pilot “green tour” by Evan Parker, organised with train transportation between venues and with a special work carried out in each venue for testing more sustainable ways of organising concerts. Evan Parker will be playing mainly in acoustic and a special attention will be dedicated to carbon consumption in the venue, waste production and recycling, “green” means of transportation to the venue and sustainable food and water provisions for the artist and the public. The lessons learned from this tour will be documented and shared with the wider music community and the members of the Europe Jazz Network, which includes some of the main jazz Festivals and clubs in Europe, with the view of inducing these behaviours on a larger scale. Julie’s Bicycle, partner of the Europe Jazz Network in this project, is providing guidelines to the events’ organisers based on their expertise of including environmental sustainability in the creative sector.
In the framework of this project a “Green Manifesto for the jazz community” has also been adopted in October 2015 by EJN members with clear commitments for reducing the environmental footprint in their area of work, a task that has become very relevant following the agreement reached in Paris during COP21 Conference.
Evan Parker On His Concert:
“How is the physics of reed behaviour affected by the acoustics of the room in which the reed’s vibrations are amplified by the conical air column of a saxophone?
Lately I have come to think that there is a coupling effect that makes it very difficult to decide what is a “good reed” in isolation from the acoustic in which it is played.
The behaviour of broken columns, aka cross fingerings – holes open in the tube higher in the column than holes which are closed – opens the way to notes above the range, multiphonics and micro-tonal tunings.
Material to last a lifetime.”
Evan Parker
Europe Jazz Network
The Europe Jazz Network (EJN) was created in 1987 as a Europe-wide association of producers, presenters and supporting organisations specialised in creative music, contemporary jazz and improvised music. Currently EJN includes 107 members (festivals, clubs and concert venues, independent promoters, national organisations) in 31 countries. EJN exists to support the identity and diversity of jazz in Europe and broaden awareness of this vital area of music as a cultural and educational force.
Julie’s Bicycle
Julie’s Bicycle is the leading global charity bridging the gap between environmental sustainability and the creative industries, providing the inspiration, expertise and resources to help cultural organisations across the UK and intentionally measure, manage and reduce their environmental impacts.
