| Read the interview by Tom Erdmann with John for a more in depth perspective.European musicians who have crucially expanded the international horizons of jazz during the past thirty years or so.Long acknowledged as an improviser of world class, Surman has also composed a body of work which extends far beyond the normal range of the jazz repertoire.Already, by the late 60s, it was clear that Surman was a phenomenon.Surman also lead his own Octet in 1968 and performed in the big band directed by Mike Gibbs, but the formation of The Trio, in 1969, can be seen as a watershed in terms of his international profile.The Trio SOS, with Alan Skidmore and Mike Osborne proved another ground breaking project, combining electronics with the dynamic soloing of three fine saxophonists.Carolyn Carlson, and was based at the Paris Opera with her company for some time.During the 80s and 90s, John maintained an impressively high output of quality work.As an instrumentalist, he played in duo with DeJohnette, Albert Mangelsdorff, Karin Krog, Barre Phillips, John Taylor, and performed in more open group formations with peer group musicians such as Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, Elvin Jones, Jon Christensen and Mangelsdorff.Brass Project, and later in duo with Jack DeJohnette.North Sea Festival, and at festivals in Portugal, France, Germany and the UK.DeJohnette duo devised new music with the Balanescu Quartet, commissioned by the 1990 Camden Jazz Festival.He has also written music for theatre and TV, and has had music performed regularly by Radio Big Bands in Germany and Scandinavia.Salisbury Festival Chorus, directed by Howard Moody, and premiered in Salisbury Cathedral.The concert was recorded for BBC Radio 3, and has now been released by ECM.The piece continues to be popular and has been performed in a number of countries including France, Romania, Switzerland and the UK.India took place in October 2003.His duo with John Taylor toured in China towards the end of 1997 and continues to perform regularly throughout Europe and beyond.Surman has recorded prolifically for ECM over the years.He has also featured on two records with Paul Bley, Gary Peacock and Tony Oxley, and on the album, Thimar, with Anouar Brahem and Dave Holland.BBC Radio 3 in December of 2002.Surman's music transcends familiar boundaries.The surprise, and the enduring pleasure, of Surman's art is the contrast of simple, haunting melody, lush orchestral textures and intense improvisation.John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944 in Tavistock, Devon, England) is a jazz saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizer player and composer of free jazz and modal jazz often using themes from folk music as a basis.He has also composed and performed much music for dance performances and film soundtracks.The Trio along with two expatriate American musicians, bassist Barre Phillips and drummer Stu Martin.That year he recorded Westering Home, the first of several solo projects on which he played all parts himself via overdubbing.His relationship with ECM Records has also been continuous from the late 1970s to the present, as Surman has recorded prolifically for the label playing bass clarinet, recorders, soprano and baritone saxophones and using synthesisers, both solo with a wide range of other musicians.In recent years he has composed several suites of music that feature his playing in unusual contexts, including with church organ and chorus (Proverbs and Songs, 1996); with a classical string quintet (Coruscating); and with the London Brass and Jack DeJohnette (Free and Equal, 2001).Surman is featured heavily and solos on baritone and soprano.The anthology includes the albums The Trio by The Trio, Conflagration with the Trio as part of a larger group including Dave Holland, Nick Evans and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and Live at Woodstock Town Hall, a duet with drummer Stu Martin
Tales Of The Algonquin (1971) with Canadian saxist John Warren along with British musicians Alan Skidmore, Wheeler and Osborne.This page was last modified 12:42, 11 December 2007.All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License."John Surman from '...The second CD in this set features a 1975 sextet concert
without Surman.John Surman: How Many Clouds Can You See?How Many Clouds Can
You See?CD actually places the
second LP side before the first, i.Note: The original UK edition
was two LPs issued separately as Volume 1 and Volume 2.Michael Gibbs: Tanglewood 63'
(for details of which see below).LP source as the session tape for this track
was missing.Mighty Spade And Whitey (Curtis Mayfield, arr.You Don't Miss Your
Water Till Your Well Runs Dry (William Bell, arr.Note: Other tracks are without
Surman.Track 1 is also included on the compilation Alexis Korner:
Bootleg Him!Strangulation Of A
Monkey (R.Note: See December 1970 for an
additional track with Surman.John Surman: Live at
Woodstock Town Hall' (for details of which see below).Note: Track 3 is erroneously
credited to John Surman.Note: The Konnex CD gives the
recording date as October 1970.No composition credits are given.Are You Positive
You're Negative?Fortune Smiles' (for details of which see above).Note: Other tracks are without
Surman.Balver Hoehle Jazz Festival, Germany
S.The times given above are as given on the CD
edition.Friedrich Gulda et al: Nachricht Vom Lande
Brain 500.Mumps: A Matter Of Taste
MPS 68.Barre Phillips: Music By...John Marshall was not credited on the Mole Jazz editions
(apparently due to contractual problems).Conrad Bauer, and
Wolfgang Fiedler Sextet.Note: First issued in 2007.Note: Other tracks are without
Surman.Note: Track 8 is on the CD
edition only.Sign in to get personalized recommendations.How Many Clouds Can You See?After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.John Surman is one of the key figures in a generation of European musicians who have crucially expanded the international horizons of jazz in the 70s and 80s.Already, by the late 60s, it was clear that Surman was a phenomenon.Devonian Mike Westbrook, and then amazed the London establishment with displays of extravagant instrumental proficiency combined with a passionate, rumbustious imagination.It's more to do with lumping it about than playing it!"Everything he does is charged with a rare musicality, and the substance and originality of his work is never subservient to his undoubted technical virtuosity.As wll as his association with Westbrook, there was varied experience with Alexis Korner, Ronnie Scott, Humphrey Lyttleton, the Brotherhood of Breath and John McLaughlin, and he forged lasting relationships with John Warren, John Taylor and Dave Holland.Surman also had his own Octet, but the formation of The Trio, in 1969, can be seen as watershed in terms of his international profile.This unit, with expatriate Americans Barre Phillips (bass) and the late Stu Martin (drums) became one of the busiest and musically vital groups on the European circuit.MUMPS) with the trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff.He also toured and recorded with the quartet of bassist Miroslav Vitous until 1982.During the 80s and 90s, Surman has maintained an impressively high output of quality work.As an instrumentalist, he has played in duo with DeJohnette, Albert Mangelsdorff, Barre Phillips, John Taylor, Tony Oxley, and performed in more open group formations with peer group musicians such as Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, Elvin Jones, Oxley and Mangelsdorff, and in quartet with Paul Bley, Bill Frisell and Paul Motian.He toured over a period of years with the great Gil Evans.The duo with Karin Krog remains an important part of his activity, and this has been augmented by a choir on a number of occasions.Brass Project, and with Jack DeJohnette.As a composer, John has continued to work in the contemporary dance field, with Carolyn Carlson and for other companies in Europe.ECM album of the same name.Brass Project (this group has also performed at the North Sea Festival, and at festivals in Portugal, France, Germany and the UK).December 1993 saw the premiere of a new suite, commissioned for the Oslo Radio Symphony Orchestra and Quartet.In 1994, Surman was commissioned by the Bath Festival, BBC Radio 3, the Arts Council and South West Arts, to write new music for various groupings from solo to Brass Project, and including a Nordic Quartet with Karin Krog, Terje Rypdal and Vigliek Storaas, to celebrate his 50th birthday year.Salisbury Festival Chorus, directed by Howard Moody, and premiered in Salisbury Cathedral.In 1998 he premiered a new chamber orchestra version of his acclaimed solo recording, The Road to St.As well as expanding his horizons as a composer, Surman has continued to play live throughout the world.His unique solo performances reflect the unique blend of acoustic and electronic music featured on recordings like The Road To St Ives and A Biography of the Reverend Absalom Dawe, his duo with John Taylor toured to China towards the end of 1997, and he also performs in duo with Karin Krog and with Breton harpist Kristen Nogues.Surman has recorded prolifically for ECM over the years.He has also featured on two records with Paul Bley, Gary Peacock and Tony Oxley, and onm a new album, Thimar, with Anouar Brahem and Dave Holland.Holland trio made its live debut at the ECM Festival in Badenweiler, Germany."If I look back to what turned me on about music, it was what I heard before I ever came across any jazz.""Please select an option!"Search for artists and albums Search help.Contact UsLike this page?This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence.The BBC reserves the right to edit reviews that are published.Get some tips on how to use BBC Search, and some other useful BBC sites.This list provides a comprehensive overview of John Surman's
work.The list is in chronological order
where the year refers, in general, to the recording date.All
items are in LP format unless stated otherwise.In those cases where the catalog numbers of
LP and CD issue are essentially the same it is not repeated after
the *.Mike Westbrook Concert Band: Celebration.John Surman: How many clouds can you see?.This LP is shared with other 1969
artists).John Surman: Way back when.Humphrey Lyttelton: Duke Ellington Classics.Alexis Korner: Both sides.Rolf Kuehn: Monday morning.John Surman Trio: Live in Altena.John McLaughlin: Where fortune smiles.Harry Beckett: Flare up.New Jazz Meeting Altena 1970.European Jazz Stars: C'est tout.Europe Jazz All Stars: Room 1220.Mike Gibbs: Tanglewood '63.John Surman: Tales of the Algonquin.New Jazz Meeting Altena 1971.LP set is shared with other artists).Norma Winstone: Edge of time.John Surman: Westering home.John Surman: Morning glory.John Surman: Live at Moers.This LP is shared with other artists).Alexis Korner: The party album.Mick Goodrick: In pas(s)ing.John Surman: Upon reflection.John Surman: The amazing adventures of Simon Simon.John Surman: Such winters of memory.Graham Collier: Hoarded dreams.John Surman: Withholding pattern.Poli Palmer: Human error.The Per Husby Orchestra: Dedications.Gil Evans: Gil meets John and Lee.The Per Husby Orchestra: Your eyes.Sting and Gil Evans: Last session.John Surman: Private city.NDR Bigband: Bravissimo II.John Surman: Adventure playground.Surman: In the evenings out
there.John Taylor: Ambleside days.John Surman's Brass Project: London Jazz Festival, 1993.John Surman: Stranger than fiction.John Surman: A biography of the Rev.Karin Krog: Huskonsert i Aurskog.John Surman: Proverbs and songs.Misha Alperin: First impression.Christine Collister: The dark gift of time.Dolmen Orchestra: Sequenze Armoniche.John Dowland: In darkness let me dwell.Christine Collister: An equal love.John Surman: Free and Equal.Jacob Young: Where Flamingos Fly.John Surman: Selected recordings.Check our review guidelines for specific details regarding customer review policy.Please do not use this form to comment on web site errors or for order related questions.If you have concerns of this nature, please contact customer service by filling out this form. |
