Centipede – Septober Energy (Esoteric Recordings, 2022)
This 2-CD set is a remastered edition of a famous avant-garde jazz colective known as
Centipede. The large ensemble brought together some of the biggest names in British jazz and early progressive rock in the early 1970s. The four tracks feature a mix of freeform jazz improvisation and some structured segments with inspired solos.
Centipede was led by free jazz pianist and composer Keith Tippett. He brought together 50 musicians in 1970 to perform his extended piece ‘Septober Energy’ on the concert stage. The musicians included members of Soft Machine (Robert Wyatt, Elton Dean, Nick Evans, Mark Charig), Nucleus (Ian Carr, Karl Jenkins,Jeff Clyne, Roy Babbington, John Marshall), King Crimson (Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Boz Burrell) and Blossom Toes (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw) as well as singer Julie Tippett.
In April 1971, Centipede was signed to RCA Records’ “progressive music” imprint Neon, and the album ‘Septober Energy’ was recorded at Wessex Studios in London in June 1971. Robert Fripp produced the sessions and the album included several vocalists, including Julie Tippett, Mike Patto, Zoot Money and Maggie Nichols. The original album was released in October 1971.