THE LONDON IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA
Genres: Jazz Related Improv, Composition • United Kingdom

The London Improvisers Orchestra has reached the age of eighteen.  Time, perhaps, for a quick look back at what’s been achieved so far.  This might in turn generate some ideas for the future. Strictly speaking, the groundwork was laid in 1997 with the Contemporary Music Network UK tour by the “London Skyscraper” ensemble conducted by the late and much-missed Lawrence ‘Butch’ Morris.  However it was in 1998 that some of the CMN participants came together to see if they could continue and develop the work that had been started on that tour.  Amongst those involved at this juncture were Steve Beresford, Ian Smith (now Ian MacGowan) and Evan Parker.  It soon became clear that there were plenty of musicians, some but not all on the original tour, who were keen to join them in exploring further possibilities in the area of improvisation generally known as “conduction”. read more...