DEDICATED TO YOU, BUT YOU WEREN'T LISTENING

Up there with 'Elastic Rock' by Nucleus and Soft Machine's 'Third', The Keith Tippett Group's excellent 'Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening' occupies the upper echelons of British jazz-fusion and is rightfully hailed as a classic album by fans and critics alike. No doubt one of many who was inspired by the superlative experimental sounds of American innovators Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Herbie Hanock et al, The Keith Tippett Group produced just two studio albums proper but, in the process, proved to be a breeding ground for many of the top young jazz talents of the time. As well as Tippett, 'Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening' featured a quartet of soon-to-be Soft Machine-bound members in Robert Wyatt(drums), Marc Charig(cornet), Roy Babbington(bass) and Elton Dean(sax), as well as Nick Evans(trumbone), Jeff Clyne(bass), and Australian drummer Phil Howard who would eventually replace Wyatt in Soft Machine several years down the line. Considering the line-up on show, it's no surprise that this sophomore effort from the group has proved to be so popular. Unlike The Keith Tippett Group's debut, this follow-up is a much more radical affair which embraces the fusion furiosity of 'Bitches Brew'-style Miles Davis and the more progressive rock sounds that were eminating from both Britain and America. This is very much jazz-rock, but not quite fusion, as there is, on this album at least, a clear distinction between the two genre's despite the fact they are mixed so seemlessly. After 'Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening' The Keith Tippett Group would head their separate ways, with Soft Machine the major benefactors and Tippett throwing himself headlong into the mammoth musical experiment of 'Centipede', another jazz-orientated group with King Crimson's Robert Fripp that would feature over 50 members. As is shown on the two Keith Tippett Group studio albums and the group-leader's later works, the dividing line between jazz and rock and experimentation and innovation can and will always be blurred, combining the rich beauty of the former and the raw energy of the latter into a truely unique and inspiring collage of sounds. Tippett was a true jazz pioneer and this album is a testament to his unnerving talent and his dedication to producing new and interesting sounds outside of the normal 'rock' spectrum. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010