John Tilbury

[Red]

For those of us in the US who have not had a chance to see Tilbury perform:

1) Any thoughts on Tilbury in performance? Photographs? What preparations does he use and how does he move between unprepared and prepared sections? &c.

2) Now that the end of the Bush regime is near, is there any chance he will lift his embargo?

[J.F.]

2) Now that the end of the Bush regime is near, is there any chance he will lift his embargo?

Not knowing about any background information... I understand he stopped performing in the U.S. because of the political situation there?

[jon abbey]

Now that the end of the Bush regime is near, is there any chance he will lift his embargo?

this is something I've been wondering also, and have been considering calling him for the first time in years (after he broke ties with me because of where I live) after Obama takes over and talking him to about it.

I tend to doubt it because 1) the US is still in iraq and afghanistan, 2) he hates the US immigration checkpoint process, and 3) he doesn't like long flights, but that's just my guess having not talked to him directly for years.

[Red]

2) Now that the end of the Bush regime is near, is there any chance he will lift his embargo?

Not knowing about any background information... I understand he stopped performing in the U.S. because of the political situation there?

Yes. I'm sure others here know more particulars, but here is his statement:

http://incalcando.com/tilbury/

[will]

If he'd also renounced life in and engagement with the UK, I'd be impressed. Given the similarity of British domestic security practices and military occupations in the Middle East / central Asia to those of the US, his decision seems more than a little hypocritical. What he's doing is like claiming to boycott a grocery store by buying everything except for bread from it.
As far as I'm concerned, he makes nice music, but his political stances are at best childish and self-serving.

[jon abbey]

If he'd also renounced life in and engagement with the UK, I'd be impressed. Given the similarity of British domestic security practices and military occupations in the Middle East / central Asia to those of the US, his decision seems more than a little hypocritical. What he's doing is like claiming to boycott a grocery store by buying everything except for bread from it.
As far as I'm concerned, he makes nice music, but his political stances are at best childish and self-serving.

it's always funny to me that I'm the one who ends up defending his stance, since his boycott was mostly of me in practice (the only other American asking him to play here was Christian Wolff), but his response to this is along the lines of "everyone needs to fight their own battles in their own country". I think it's a pretty easy decision to understand, and I don't see the reason to attack it, even if I don't agree with it.

[will]

what "battles" is he fighting? If he's been active in the contemporary antiwar movement in the UK, great for him (and he should be more vocal (pianistic?) about it), and if this is basically about you, then he could have emailed you in private to explain why he wouldn't be performing in the US. Public statements invite public criticism.

[Red]

I think it's a pretty easy decision to understand, and I don't see the reason to attack it, even if I don't agree with it.

Selfishly, I'm just disappointed that I haven't had--and probably won't have--the opportunity to see him perform.

And on account of this I'm curious to hear from others who have had that opportunity.

[jkudler]

i saw AMM a few times. what can i say? it was years ago; it was AMM. i don't recall tilbury using any preparations, but i could be wrong.

-jesse

[mudd]

tilbury pulling out was the straw that broke the back of my plan to head to berlin for amplify 2004.

i would love to see him play, but i guess i'll have to find a good reason to be in the UK for that to happen.

m

[jon abbey]

he plays elsewhere in Europe too, he's done shows in the last year or two in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Poland, I'm sure others.

[Joda]

And on account of this I'm curious to hear from others who have had that opportunity.

I saw him perform in Vancouver, in 2006, following the Treatise Workshop he hosted for Vancouver New Music. It was a wonderful performance. It took place in a dance theatre, a large open space, so the sound was good too. He first performed an improvisation at the piano, playing the keys and also manipulating the strings inside the piano, using some preparations I think, using a mallet, also a micro-cassette recorder was played inside the piano. He then performed a John Cage piece that I am unfamiliar with, with no preparations, which was quite enjoyable, followed by Samuel Beckett’s Cascando. Hatta wrote a review of the concert here, which describes it better than I can recall or articulate presently.

[Red]

And on account of this I'm curious to hear from others who have had that opportunity.

I saw him perform in Vancouver, in 2006, following the Treatise Workshop he hosted for Vancouver New Music. It was a wonderful performance. It took place in a dance theatre, a large open space, so the sound was good too. He first performed an improvisation at the piano, playing the keys and also manipulating the strings inside the piano, using some preparations I think, using a mallet, also a micro-cassette recorder was played inside the piano. He then performed a John Cage piece that I am unfamiliar with, with no preparations, which was quite enjoyable, followed by Samuel Beckett’s Cascando. Hatta wrote a review of the concert here, which describes it better than I can recall or articulate presently.

Thanks. I found Hatta's review:

http://ihatemusic.noquam.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=492

[rainey]

1) Any thoughts on Tilbury in performance? Photographs? What preparations does he use and how does he move between unprepared and prepared sections? &c.

Saw him once with AMM. His contributions were the highlight, for me. Beautiful tone, long thematic memory, nicely orchestrated. Nothing particularly noteworthy regarding preparations - I think Tillbury's strength lies in his touch and musicality, not sonic ingenuity.

2) Now that the end of the Bush regime is near, is there any chance he will lift his embargo?

It won't be hard for him to find something wrong with the incoming administration. In any case, based on his writings, his decision seems to be based as much on discomfort with American culture (as he views it) as with the actions of the Bush regime. I find his writing on the subject hard to swallow because of the blatant stereotyping of Americans as aggressive and clueless or shoulder-shrugging. Also his use of grandiose, ill-defined terms to describe (what I would say are) important concepts. But I've gone down that road before, and it got ugly real quick.

As far as I know, no concert promoters have been successful in ending foreign wars in order to get John Tilbury to play a concert in the U.S. However, his conscience is an (the?) important factor in his decision, whether or not that decision has any measurable effects.

[jpeatt]

i'll have to find a good reason to be in the UK

Sound philosophy.

(with apologies to the delightful UK folks here)

[Jesse]

Tilbury's touch is inimitable. I was moved (not pushed) to great admiration for this quality alone (never mind his taste, selection of material and collaborators, etc) upon hearing Duos For Doris. With the Feldman and Skempton pieces, DFD is one of the most bracing releases of piano improvisation I own.