Between the Skies was commissioned for "Visiting Tarab", a project conceived by Tarek Atoui as a modern day response to the pre-war Arabic music recordings collected by Kamal Kassar in Beirut.
It was written for saxophone plus sound files derived from these 78s.
This performance was part of "La Suite" - a five-hour event curated by Tarek Atoui to launch the Serpentine Gallery's Memory Marathon.
In 2013 Out Of The Machine commissioned Butcher to expand "Between the Skies" into an hour long concert presentation - Tarab Cuts - for which he invited drummer Mark Sanders to join him.
credits
from Made to Measure,
released August 28, 2018
Live at the Serpentine Gallery, London - 2012.
John Butcher has also performed "Between the Skies" in New York (2011) and Sharjha (2012).
supported by 12 fans who also own “Between the Skies”
This music has everything I need: acoustic instruments, a slow build, layers of atypical harmonies and rhythms being added each pass through, subtle melodies and combinations. Excellent work! Little James
supported by 11 fans who also own “Between the Skies”
the artists seem to downplay their achievement as something they just tossed together in the living room during pandemic lock down. Yet, it is a highly original take on the classic drums/sax duo. A huge range of musical ground is covered, and emotional content. A great album in any context, I listen to it often. bob3