Free Improvisation: Composition in Motion

Is improvisation another way of composing? This book shows the compositional capacity of free improvisation and describes the qualities developed by the musicians and artists who practice it. It is a balance between free improvisation and written composition, to recover the value that has been denied to improvisation. Through the writings of different authors, personal interviews with an important number of composers and improvisers of the international scene, as well as the analysis of their practical experience, the similarities and differences between free improvisation and written composition are investigated. Chefa Alonso is a musician, improviser, and composer. A saxophonist and percussionist specialising in free jazz and free improvisation, she plays a significant role as an educator, conducting improvisation workshops for musicians, actors, poets, dancers, and music teachers. She is the co-founder of Musicalibre and has organised the International Festival of Improvisation Hurta Cordel in Madrid for several years. In addition to her two permanent groups, Sin Red and Akafree, she has collaborated with numerous prominent improvisers on the international scene, including John Edwards, Tony Marsh, Vanessa Mackness, Terry Day, Lou Grassi, Barbara Wagner, Co Streiff, Ute Voelker, Heinz, and John Russell. She is a member of several improviser orchestras, including LIO (London Improvisers Orchestra), FOCO (Improvisers Orchestra of Madrid), and OMEGA (Improvised Music Orchestra of Galicia).