Walthamstow Moon (’61 Revisited) by the great saxophonist Evan Parker, bassist John Edwards, and guitarist John Russell, above, left-to-right, is released on the Byrd Out label on vinyl, limited to 300 copies, date of release now pushed back from the planned late-March to 7 July, the new date displayed on the label website. Tracks on side 1 are Mirth, Leonine Aspect, and Marvel; Saturnine Aspect, Maud, and Walthamstow Moon on the reverse. The revisiting in context is more than a homage, think of it as an ignition, an acknowledgement, reflection, a connection, a warping of time and space all rolled into one. In part the revisiting is because on 17 November 1961 John Coltrane played at the Granada Theatre in Walthamstow, north east London, on a Jazz at the Philharmonic tour organised by Norman Granz that 55 years and six days later Evan Parker returned to in spirit as he had attended the Granada gig and would be inspired by it sufficiently to make a pilgrimage to the same place, 186 Hoe Street E17, now home to the Mirth, Marvel & Maud venue. Free improv means a certain respect for the moment, for the act of creation in all its aspiration to completeness, concision and communication, collective ideas that intermingle and develop in the real time social laboratory that makes use of all the raw materials of distilled musical knowledge belonging to the participants at their disposal in a sense translating the acquired expertise, ideas, and above all life force and pouring it out to peers and audience alike to mutually experience, draw on and witness. Factor in time here and a lifetime of groundbreaking accomplishment by Parker and the spirit soars just listening, feeling. Updated 6 April with new release date
