Mark Springer - Circa Rip Rig + Panic (2017)

For many folks of a certain age, Bristol’s post-punk collective Rip Rig + Panic were a first point of contact with freeform jazz – particularly the eccentric, Cecil Taylor-like improvisations of their pianist Mark Springer. This collection of his early 80s offcuts, with assorted RR+P bandmates, features a doomy, gothic ballad recorded for a 1981 Peel Session with Velvet Underground singer Nico, and several tracks featuring David “Flash” Wright on tenor sax and the late Sean Oliver on double bass (together sounding like a particularly unhinged Ornette Coleman trio).

Most impressive are Springer’s lengthy solo explorations. I’ve Got to Two Hand It to You starts like Philip Glass and ends like a rumination from Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert. Other tracks lurch between Erik Satie miniatures and spacious, Herbie Hancock-style modal improvisations, while never losing sight of melody or structure. A fascinating collection from an overlooked figure at the intersection of British pop and jazz.