I thought there might be no trace at all of this cassette on the web, but I found one on Peter Stubley's profile of Mick Beck — even though that refers to it being called Feetpackets Live in Leeds and being on the Discus label, whereas my copy is just called Feetpackets and makes no reference to any label. It was recorded live in Leeds, however. Since this is now quite a rare item I feel I should reproduce all the information on the inlay card for posterity:
side one
Competition Composition Composer Mick Beck
The Last Symphony Composer Mick Beck
side two
Tangent Composer Nigel Manning
Barbel Composer Charlie Collins
Mick Beck Tenor Saxophone
Charlie Collins Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Flute
Dave Ellis Double Bass
Paul Hession Drumset
Martin Jones Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Ross Lambert Guitar
Nigel Manning Clarinet, Flute
Mary Oliver Voice
Peter Rosser Accordian
Mary Schwarz Viola
Tom Spears Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Linda Lee Welch Voice
Alan Wilkinson Baritone, Alto, Soprano Saxophone
Geoff Wolmark Bass Trombone
Recorded by Geoff Clout through Peter Hill at The Termite Club, Leeds 12.2.88. Thanks to A.C.G.B. for financial assistance.
A.C.G.B. must be Arts Council of Great Britain.
It's mostly wind instruments. The guitar (hi Ross, if you're reading) and viola don't register much on the ear. At times on the first track it sounds like more than one band playing at once. I guess that's why it's called Competition Composition.
As well as seeing Mick Beck at improv gigs around Sheffield, I used to see him at work at the Manpower Services Commission (where he was known as Mike Beck). We never actually met in that context; just passed in the endless corridors. It's all open plan now — times change. Mick/Mike took early retirement to concentrate on his sax and his bassoon, and I heard at least one listener saying that he felt his playing had benefited considerably as a result of this .
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