Composer, saxophonist, poet and inspiration-to-many Alabaster DePlume shares his touring schedule for spring and summer 2023, including four dates in Europe in support of Bon Iver. This announcement is paired with the release of new single “Child Playing in the Forbidden Ruins, a digital-only B side to a new flexidisc release, his first new material in a year since the release of his GOLD album, which was dubbed ‘Best New Music’ by Pitchfork and described as “a balm of spoken word and spiritual jazz, both strangely uncomfortable and strangely comforting”, featured in NPR’s Top 20 Albums of 2022, and named by Gilles Peterson as his BBC 6Music Album of The Year. Released digitally last month, the lead single “Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem” is available as a 7” flexi disc with artwork from Raimund Wong and accompanied by digital-only track, “Child Playing in the Forbidden Ruins”, which can also be unlocked via an interactive website accessed from the flexi disc.
Composed live in a Vienna soundcheck, “Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem” was recorded in London between the gruelling demands of a ruthlessly creative tour following the release of Alabaster DePlume’s critically acclaimed album GOLD. Leading with a confident charge of swirling saxophone, Alabaster is joined by what he calls “one of the most creative yet resilient groups I’ve put together” – Rozi Plain on bass, drummer Momoko Gill and Conrad Singh on guitar – building into a triumphant four-minute crescendo as a homage to everyone ‘getting away with it’ – “it” being, simply, life. As Alabaster says, in his own words: “Even this very second, passing your eyes over these words, is a victory. Breathing, you are victorious. Childishly standing with my flag and my anthem of “I’m alive” I’m victorious. See inside, how you have your own permission, to be. Celebrated or not by others, in one moment, always, or never. You know you are here and you know this is a victory. We can always be more ourselves, and we can always be less so. But there is no ceremony we must wait for, no test, no judgement, before we can sing our victory anthem.”
The B-side, ‘Child Playing in the Forbidden Ruins’, is a result of Alabaster’s ‘live development’ recording style from the session. Like the laughter captured on the opening of side A, this composition is a consequence of the groups’ relationship to music and each other. “Looking inward, we can meet sometimes with parts of ourselves that are in ruins, and seemingly forbidden. But upon giving ourselves agency to be who we are, we can find ourselves like naughty children, who have given ourselves permission, and sneaked into those forbidden places, to find what’s there.”
Alabaster DePlume is a Manchester-born, London-based bandleader, composer, saxophonist, activist and orator. A long-time affiliate of London’s Total Refreshment Centre, DePlume has released albums on Lost Map Records and Chicago label International Anthem, with his most recent album, Gold, widely acclaimed as one of the best jazz records of 2022. Committed to a world of radical care and creative collaboration, Alabaster DePlume is not doing things properly, and this makes him very happy.
UK & EU DATES
24 May 2023 – Falmouth, UK @ Cornish Bank – Tickets
25 May 2023 – Stroud, UK @ Jazz Stroud – Tickets
27 May 2023 – Liege, Belgium @ Jazz a Liege – Tickets
6 Jun 2023 – Tilburg, The Netherlands @ 013 Poppodium [supporting Bon Iver] – Tickets
10 Jun 2023 – Alentejo, Portugal @ Waking Life – Tickets
14 Jun 2023 – Vienna, Austria @ Open Air Arena Wien [supporting Bon Iver] – Tickets
15 Jun 2023 – Zurich, Switzerland @ The Hall [supporting Bon Iver] – Tickets
19 Jun 2023 – Bonn, Germany @ Kunst!Rasen [supporting Bon Iver] – Tickets
23 Jun 2023 – Somerset, UK @ Park Stage, Glastonbury
7 Jul 2023 – Rotterdam, The Netherlands @ North Sea Jazz – Tickets
9 Jul 2023 – Lausanne, Switzerland @ Festival de la Cité
14 Jul 2023 – Ghent, Belgium @ Boomtown – Tickets
15 Jul 2023 – Paris, France @ Paris Jazz – Tickets
5 Aug 2023 – Eigg, Scotland, UK @ Howlin’ Fling – Tickets
11 Aug 2023 – Dorset, UK @ We Out Here – Tickets
19 Aug 2023 – Buckinghamshire, UK @ Stowaway – Tickets
20 Aug 2023 – Brecon Beacons, Wales @ GreenMan – Tickets
10-Nov-2023 – London, UK @ KOKO, Pitchfork Music Festival Tickets