Reaction Time Zero
look, what I have to deal with, just when I'm playing music
Michael Basden is an unlikely dude whom it was very unlikely that I would ever meet. However, I did and after a dozen or so wine soaked, smoke choked jams in a bookshop basement surrounded by Sophie’s incredible collection of science fiction books I convinced him to make some recordings. An album of unprepared jazz improvisations called “Reaction Time Zero”.
We recorded on Toshi’s studio boat and I did all aspects of the album from song templates in pro-tools, guitar and bass playing to final mixing and mastering. Michael played the soprano saxophone and my friend Martin Kruemmling played the drums.
I used several techniques to create song starting points with a tempo, maybe a sample or a musical drone. For example, in one track the sound of the U-Bahn (underground train) doors closing sets the mood and tempo of the track.
In the headphone mixes I set it up so that Martin (drums) could only hear the click track and Michael (sax) could only hear the harmonic stimulus. I did this so that Martin would only react to Michael’s soprano and Michael would not be distracted by the metronome click.
I would let Michael and Martin listen to each session briefly and we would discuss a direction for a couple of minutes. Then Michael and Martin would perform a take. We made 1 or 2 takes of each idea I had put together.
After the recording sessions I deleted most of the backing material and replaced it with my own jazz guitar and electric bass playing.
Our recordings were later released by Musszo Records in 2021 with the help of my friend Yusuf Sahilli.
Berlin. 2022.
Reaction Time Zero’s 1st album featured Michael Basden.
Michael Basden. A versatile tenor, alto and soprano saxophonist, Michael attended Laguardia High School of Music and Art in the 1980’s. Subsequently, Michael undertook an apprenticeship at the New York News with Frank Evers - who was the president of the Cartoonist’s Union. It was here that he was fortunate enough to meet and be mentored by luminaries such as Charles Schultz (Snoopy) and the legendary Stan Lee. Michael regularly pays tribute to Stan Lee as he plays the Spider-Man theme for children in the street.
It was at music college in New York that he became friends and peers with the Marsalis brothers, studying as he did with Delfeayo Marsalis. Delfeayo’s brother, Branford Marsalis, served as Michael’s inspiration for soprano. Michael recalls ‘after parties’ at Wally’s Café in Boston where everyone knew that Branford would attend the jam session. He says all the musicians would put in extra practice so they could keep up with Branford on stage.
From 1991-1992 Michael was Wynton Marsalis’ assistant. During this time Michael circulated at the heart of the American jazz scene. Whilst working for Wynton, Michael says he was educated, “…harshly, but not cruelly.” When asked about his greatest influence and soul guide Michael says it is the Marsalis brothers’ mother, Mrs. Marsalis.
Michael now carries many authentic jazz traditions with him. He embodies the peripatetic soul of the wandering blues man.
Michael now lives in the often dangerous world of all-night Berlin street music. Working on Trains, avoiding authority and the polytoxically inebriated, Michael is reverse engineering all the lessons he learned with Wynton and playing in the hyper-competitive East Coast jam sessions. A surrealist sovereign citizen of his own secret society.
Michael is a native of Brooklyn, New York and has been based in Berlin for many years.
