John Butcher / Mark Sanders / Veryan Weston

John Butcher's work ranges through improvisation, his own compositions, multitracked pieces and explorations with feedback and extreme acoustics.
Originally a physicist, he left academia in '82, and has since collaborated with hundreds of musicians - Derek Bailey, John Tilbury, John Stevens, The EX, Akio Suzuki, Gerry Hemingway, Polwechsel, Gino Robair, Rhodri Davies, Okkyung Lee, John Edwards, Toshi Nakamura, Paul Lovens, Eddie Prevost, Mark Sanders, Christian Marclay, Otomo Yoshihide, Phil Minton, and Andy Moor - to name a few.

“English saxophonist John Butcher may be among the world’s most influential musicians, operating at the cutting-edge of improvisatory practice since the ‘80s. Whenever an acoustic musician starts to sound like a bank of oscillators, a tropical forest, a brook or an insect factory, Butcher’s influence is likely nearby.” – New York City Jazz Record

Mark Sanders has had a career taking in many styles and genres, this history informs his now mainly free improvisation based work, but he also works in theatre, dance, contemporary classical and conceptual art situations.

He has played with many renowned improvising musicians including Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Derek Bailey, Henry Grimes, Roswell Rudd, Okkyung Lee, Barry Guy, Jah Wobble, Charles Gayle, Peter Evans, Trevor Watts, William Parker, Nate Wooley, Ivo Perelman and Nicole Mitchell.

He works with John Edwards in a duo and with groups including trios with Evan Parker, John Butcher, Elliott Sharp and many other groups visiting the UK and in Europe.

"….the other special ingredient is the ubiquitous, diverse and constantly creative drummer Mark Sanders, who always outdoes himself, whether playing with restraint or erupting like a dynamo." Bruce L Gallenter, Downtown Music Gallery. NY

Veryan Weston's interest in collaborating with artists from other disciplines led him to earn a degree in performance art from Middlesex University and a master's degree in music composition from Goldsmith's College University in London. In the '80s and '90s, he worked with (among others) the Eddie Prévost Quartet, Lol Coxhill and Trevor Watt. He performed music for film, the most notable being his work with Lol Coxhill on director Derek Jarman's film Caravaggio (1986). 

Working with Ghanaian musicians in Moiré Music suited Veryan’s interests in the importance and beauty of rhythmic relationships between musicians which is also traceable later in virtually all his work as an improviser. They continue their very fruitful long-term relationship with concerts worldwide that also include other performers. There have been other collaborations; with John Edwards, Mark Sanders, Caroline Kraabel and Phil Minton. 

The OUTER LIMITS series of events is curated for Derby Jazz by Adrian Perry. It presents music from the more experimental end of the jazz spectrum. More Cafe OTO than Ronnie Scott's.