Evan Parker | Artist

Evan Shaw Parker is a British jazz tenor and soprano saxophone player born 1944 in Bristol. Parker plays a free improvisational style and was a pivotal figure in the development of European free jazz and free improvisation, recording and performing with collaborators such as Derek Bailey, Han Bennink and Paul Lytton. Initially inspired by the music of Dave Brubeck collaborator, the saxophonist Paul Desmond, Parker then discovered the music of John Coltrane who would be his primary influence, along with Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler and Jimmy Guiffre. Parker moved to London in 1966 and joined John Stevens' Spontaneous Music Ensemble. Along with guitarist Derek Bailey, he quickly became a leading figure in the improvised music movement in London and Europe. Parker has pioneered an array of experimental techniques on the saxophone, prompting critics such as Ron Wynn to describe him as "among Europe's most innovative and intriguing saxophonists.. (although) his solo sax work isn't for the squeamish." A Prolific recording artist, Parker has released more than 94 studio albums as a soloist and ensemble member. Standout albums include his 1970 debut The Topography of the Lungs, a collaboration with Derek Bailey and Han Bennink, plus the solo works Monoceros (1978), Process and Reality (1991), Conic Sections (1993) and Time Lapse (2006). The artist has also appeared in pop-music contexts including on Scott Walker's album Climate of Hunter, with Jah Wobble on Passage to Hades, plus with Spiritualized, David Sylvian and Robert Wyatt.

Artist Website: evenparker.com

Featured Albums: Evan Parker

Related Artists: Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, Peter Brotzmann, John Stevens

Video Clips: Solo Part 1, Electroacoustic Nonet, Live at Cafe Oto