Henry Cow, Evan Parker, Phil Minton at HCMF...

Lindsay Cooper with Phil Minton

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (between Fri 21 and Sunday 30 November) is devoted to new and experimental music and always has some jazz input among it's events. This year is no exception with a specially reformed avant jazz rock band "Henry Cow" playing the music of Lindsay Cooper plus saxman Evan Parker with a 12 piece group and singer Phil Minton with double bassist Simon Felll

Henry Cow play the music of Lindsay Cooper - Saturday 22 November Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield 7.30pm
Lindsay Cooper was a celebrated bassoonist who died in 2013 from complications arising from multiple sclerosis. Between 1971 and 1997, she had took key roles in the influential avant-rock bands Comus and Henry Cow and in Mike Westbrook's jazz bands; gave solo recitals on bassoon and saxophones; and composed for theatre, dance, film, and jazz and contemporary-classical ensembles all over the world. Seminal progressive rock band Henry Cow have been reformed for this special occasion and will be playing Lindsay's Music for Films/News From Babel/Oh Moscow.

The musicians are: Alfred Harth, Anne-Marie Roelofs, Chris Cutler, Dagmar Krause, Fred Frith, John Greaves, Michel Berckmans, Phil Minton, Sally Potter, Tim Hodgkinson, Veryan Weston, Zeena Parkins. Tickets £22 (£20 concession; £18 online)

Evan Parker's "Twelve for Twelve Musicians" - Sun 23 Nov 4pm Calder Room@The Hepworth Gallery Wakefield 

To celebrate Evan Parker’s 70th birthday year, HCMF has commissioned the world premiere of Twelve for Twelve Musicians by Parker. ‘Since the dodecaphonic revolution, 12 has been a special number in new music. In my ‘composing’ with 12 elements I am exceptionally fortunate to work with 11 other musical individuals. The piece starts and ends with their musical genius as instrumentalists and as improvisers.’
Evan Parker.

The musicians are: Neil Metcalfe flute, John Rangecroft clarinet, Evan Parker saxophone, Percy Pursglove trumpet, Matt Wright computer/turntables, Sten Sandell piano, Toma Gouband percussion, Paul Lytton percussion, Mark Nauseef percussion, Damien Harron percussion, Richard Barrett live electronics, Paul Obermayer live electronics. Tickets £17 (£15 concession; £13 online)

Evan Parker + Sten Sandell - Monday 24 November, St Thomas' Church  Huddersfield 1.10pm, 
St Paul's Hall  Huddersfield 4pm

Evan Parker saxophones, Sten Sandell church organ / keyboard
'This project follows on from an album I made with Sten Sandell in 2010. In Sten's hands the church organ, while retaining the solemn gravitas you expect, turns into a whole symphony of sounds - flute-like, drones, violin quartet dissonance, and much more..! I am keen to work with this range of sounds again, and to create a series of new works that will fully utilise the range and dynamics of the individual spaces.'
Evan Parker. Free event

Phil Minton voice, Simon H Fell double bass - Thursday 27 November, Bates Mill Photographic Studio, Huddersfield 10pm 
ps this will be brilliant free improv, but not that you'd know from their preview here  http://hcmf.co.uk/event/show/463. Glad I'm not an academic musicologist!. Tickets £12; Concession £10

Tickets here http://www.hcmf.co.uk/calendar/year/2014/4

Steve Crocker, Norvol