In For Love of Ivor, Jex Saarelaht offers an extended piece celebrating the life and work of one of the great, if somewhat unsung, artists of the twentieth century, Ivor Cutler, who died on March 3rd, 2006, aged 83.  Variously dubbed a poet, musician, and humorist, Ivor accurately and succinctly referred to himself as an Oblique Musical Philosopher.

By combining aspects of Ivor Cutler’s philosophy and interests both musical and otherwise, (including Quiet/Silence, appreciation of different musical styles/cultures, the recognition of the quotidian as potentially revelatory, concern with and joy found in the natural world, the small, the other, the overlooked) with his own, expanded by and filtered through the talents of the ten-piece Off(’)and Ensemble, Jex hopes to achieve something best explained in this quote from Ivor Cutler:

‘My songs, stories and poems are the mediums through which messages come from my unconscious mind to the unconscious mind of the listener or reader. I do not know what I have communicated, and the listener or reader does not know what message(s) he has received, but we both know that a communication has been received and are happy for it to have taken place, for empathy can happen, which can bring catharsis, self-knowledge, answers to questions you haven’t asked yourself etc....’

Of course, anyone who finds this sort of thing distasteful is invited to come just for the music.

The Off(’)and Ensemble is:

Shannon Barnett - trombone, Ian Chaplin - alto saxophone, Hope Csutoros - violin, Steve Grant - trumpet/saxophone,
Philip Rex - double bass/tuba, Jex Saarelaht - piano/harmonium, Niko Schäuble - percussion,
Russell Smith - silent flugelhorn/grandmaster/imp, Scott Tinkler - trumpet, and Ian Whitehurst - tenor saxophone

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