Dave Newhouse - 2025 - Improvika I

(32:07; Dave Newhouse)

Although not mentioned on the cover, there is a subtitle to this release, namely “Outtakes, Unused, Recycled, New”.  Here we have the first of three releases in the series where Dave is taking his music in a very different direction indeed, improvising over “found” material. Improvisation has always been a very important of his playing over the decades, and here he is more overt, making old recordings modern, combining them into a new whole. The musicians involved are Fred Frith (acoustic guitar), Billy Swann (double bass, fuzz bass), Greg Segal (percussion), Jerry King (guitars, effects) and Dave Newhouse (keyboards, woodwinds), but it is also important to recognise the contribution played by Ian Beabout in turning this into a seamless piece of music which takes us on a wondrous journey. The studio has indeed become another instrument in bringing this music to life.

I don’t think it is possible to recognise the full depth of this until it has been played a few times, as one needs to pay attention and truly listen (on headphones) as there are some wonderful nuances and little touches which take us on a journey of discovery. There is a gentleness in much of the playing, with little of the discordance which can often form part of improvisation. That is because of the way Dave put this together, stitching together the contributions of others and then providing his improvisations over the top. In some ways it reminds me of some of the work by Danish musician Robin Taylor, not so much in the sound but in the approach (he sometimes manipulated live recordings to create something new). However, there is a compelling urgency with this, as we move from periods of calm and beauty to areas which are quite frenetic, far removed from what has come before and what will appear in the future, moving from serenity to chaos, but somehow making sense at the same time.

This is a continuous 32-minute piece of music and is the first of a planned series of three releases, and I am very much looking forward to the others. Dave says, “My response to the woefully corrupt and fascist government we are currently living under.” Somehow, I don’t imagine young Donald would ever play this, as if he did his tiny brain would explode. 

Kev Rowland, September 2025

Links:
https://davenewhouse.bandcamp.com/