Evan Parker (born 1944 in Bristol, United Kingdom) began to play alto saxophone at the age of 14. He switched to tenor and soprano after he started listening to
John Coltrane. In 1966, he went to London. The following year he made a record with John Stevens' Spontaneous Music Ensemble, alongside Kenny Wheeler, Paul Rutherford, Trevor Watts and
Derek Bailey. Then, the saxophonist began long collaborations with Bailey (in duo or within the Music Improvisation Company), and then with Paul Lytton (in duo, then with Barry Guy).
At the same time, Parker appeared in a quartet composed of Irene Schweizer, Peter Kowald, and Pierre Favre, in
Peter Brötzmann's octet, in Chris McGregor's Blue Notes or in
Alexander von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity Orchestra. At the beginning of the seventies, he worked with drummer Paul Lovens, and also joined Barry Guy's London Jazz Composers Orchestra. After so many experiments, Parker felt the need to work on his own language: in 1975, he recorded the Solos Saxophone improvisations. Since then, the saxophonist has never stopped experimenting, in solo or with collaborators (Steve Lacy, Joe McPhee, George Lewis, Paul Bley, Sainkho Namtchylak, Spring Heel Jack, Thurston Moore, John Wiese, Chris Corsano). He also founded the Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, which includes Walter Prati, Philip Wachsmann, Paul Lytton, Barry Guy.
[
Guillaume Belhomme,
Jazz en 150 figures]
