ALISTER SPENCE / RAYMOND MACDONALD

‘Clearly the planets were in the right conjunction in the celestial sphere and prompted some inspired music making.’ Jazzwise (CD Review Stepping Between The Shadows)

Alister Spence - piano
Raymond MacDonald - alto and soprano saxophone

The Alister Spence/Raymond MacDonald Duo have recorded two CDs - Stepping Between Shadows in 2012 and Sound Hotel in 2018.

(Sound Hotel) ‘…demonstrates beautifully…a musical relationship…the set of seven duets highlight the emphatic sense of deep listening in this session.’ www.salt-peanuts.eu

The Spence/MacDonald duo formed in 2011, stems from a friendship that has developed over the past 12 years. They first met in Glasgow in 2006, when the Alister Spence Trio workshopped with the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra of which Raymond is a founding member.

In 2008, Raymond invited the Alister Spence Trio to perform in Tokyo with the ‘International Big Band’, including Satoko Fujii, Jim O’Rourke and many Japanese free improvising luminaries. Buddy, a CD of this performance, was released in 2010 on the Textile label. ‘Music this articulate is rare in any style of music.’ Jazzwise. ‘An unqualified success.’ The Wire.

2009 and 2011 saw Alister and Raymond touring together in the UK with Joe Williamson (bass) and Tom Bancroft and Christopher Cantillo (drums). ‘Well-defined direction from the get-go.’ Glasgow Herald.

No stranger to European audiences, Raymond MacDonald works with many pioneers in avant-garde music, inclcuding pianist Marilyn Crispell, Fred Frith, drummer Gunter ‘Baby’ Sommer, David Byrne, Damo Suzuki trumpeter Axel Dorner, George Lewis, Evan Parker, Keith Tippett, Barry Guy, the London Improvisers Orchestra and many others.