John Surman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Surman
Surman performing in Birdland, 2 September 2009
Background information
Birth name	John Douglas Surman
Born	(1944-08-30) 30 August 1944 (age 80) Tavistock, Devon, England
Genres	Jazz avant-garde, free jazz, modal jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, arranger
Instruments	Baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, synthesizer
Years active	1960s–present
Labels	Deram, Dawn, ECM
Associated acts	John McLaughlin, Barre Phillips, Stu Martin, John Warren, John Potter

John Douglas Surman (born August 30, 1944) is a talented English musician. He plays jazz music using instruments like the saxophone, clarinet, and synthesizer. John is also a composer, meaning he writes his own music. He often mixes jazz styles like free jazz and modal jazz with ideas from traditional folk music. Besides playing and composing, he has created music for dance shows and movies.

Life and Career of a Jazz Musician

John Surman at the 2017 Oslo Jazz Festival

John Surman was born in Tavistock, a town in Devon, England. He first became well-known in the mid-1960s. This was when he played the baritone saxophone in the Mike Westbrook Band. Soon after, people often heard him playing the soprano saxophone and bass clarinet too.

His first music released on a record was with the Peter Lemer Quintet in 1966. He continued to record and perform with other jazz leaders. These included Mike Westbrook and Graham Collier. He also worked with blues-rock musician Alexis Korner. In 1968, he released his first record under his own name.

In 1969, John Surman started a group called The Trio. He formed it with two American musicians. They were bassist Barre Phillips and drummer Stu Martin. In the mid-1970s, he created one of the first jazz groups made only of saxophones. This group was called S.O.S. It included alto saxophonist Mike Osborne and tenor saxophonist Alan Skidmore. During these early years, he also recorded with many other famous musicians.

By 1972, John began trying out synthesizers. That year, he recorded Westering Home. This was the first of several solo projects. On these projects, he played all the musical parts himself. He did this by recording one part, then playing another part over it (called overdubbing). He recorded his last album with Mike Westbrook, Citadel/Room 315, in 1975.

Many of the musical friendships he made in the 1970s lasted for decades. He played in a quartet with pianist John Taylor, bassist Chris Laurence, and drummer John Marshall. He also performed duets and other projects with Norwegian singer Karin Krog. She is John Surman's long-term partner. He also worked with American drummer and pianist Jack DeJohnette.

John Surman has had a long relationship with ECM Records. This record label has released many of his albums since the late 1970s. He has recorded a lot for them. He plays bass clarinet, recorders, soprano and baritone saxophones. He also uses synthesizers. He records both by himself and with many other musicians.

Since the 1990s, John has written several music pieces called suites. These pieces show his playing in unique ways. For example, he has played with a church organ and a choir. This was for his work Proverbs and Songs in 1996. He also played with a classical string quintet for Coruscating. For Free and Equal (2001), he performed with the London Brass and Jack DeJohnette.

He also played in a special trio with Tunisian oud-player Anouar Brahem. An oud is a stringed instrument. The trio also included bassist Dave Holland. This was for their album Thimar in 1997. John Surman has also performed songs by John Dowland with singer John Potter. John Potter used to be part of the Hilliard Ensemble. John Surman also contributed to the drum and bass album Disappeared by Spring Heel Jack.

Other musicians he has worked with include bassist Miroslav Vitouš and bandleader Gil Evans. He also played with pianists Paul Bley and Vigleik Storaas. He collaborated with saxophonist and composer John Warren. Guitarists Terje Rypdal and John Abercrombie and trumpeter Tomasz Stańko are also among his collaborators.

His most recent musical project is Words Unspoken. This album was released on ECM Records in February 2024. It received great reviews from music critics. It was even given five stars by BBC Music Magazine. The album also received widespread radio play in Europe and North America. This quartet does not have a bass player. It features Thomas Strønen on drums and the British musician Rob Luft on guitar and electronics.

Awards and Honors

John Surman has received several awards for his music:

• 1999: He won the Spellemannprisen award in the Jazz category. This was with Karin Krog for their album Bluesand.
• 2013: He won the Spellemannprisen again in the Jazz category. This was also with Karin Krog for their album Songs About This and That.

Discography

Albums as a Leader

• John Surman (Deram, 1969)
• How Many Clouds Can You See? (Deram, 1970)
• The Trio with Barre Phillips, Stu Martin (Dawn, 1970)
• Conflagration (The Trio) with Barre Phillips, Stu Martin and others (Dawn, 1971)
• Tales of the Algonquin with John Warren (Deram, 1971)
• Where Fortune Smiles with John McLaughlin, Dave Holland, Stu Martin, Karl Berger (Dawn, 1971)
• Westering Home (Island, 1972)
• Jazz in Britain '68-'69 with Alan Skidmore, Tony Oxley (Decca Eclipse, 1972)
• Morning Glory with John Marshall, Terje Rypdal, Chris Laurence, John Taylor, Malcolm Griffiths (Island, 1973)
• John Surman (Jazz Vogue, 1974)
• Live at Moers Festival with Tony Levin (Ring, 1975)
• Live at Woodstock Town Hall (Dawn, 1975)
• Sonatinas with Stan Tracey (Steam, 1978)
• Upon Reflection (ECM, 1979)
• Cloud Line Blue with Karin Krog (Polydor, 1979)
• The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon (ECM, 1981)
• Such Winters of Memory (ECM, 1983)
• Withholding Pattern (ECM, 1985)
• By Contact (The Trio) with Barre Phillips, Stu Martin (Ogun, 1987) (reissue)
• Private City (ECM, 1988)
• Road to Saint Ives (ECM, 1990)
• Adventure Playground (ECM, 1992)
• The Brass Project with John Warren (ECM, 1993)
• Stranger than Fiction (ECM, 1994)
• Nordic Quartet with Karin Krog, Terje Rypdal and Vigleik Storaas (ECM, 1995)
• A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe (ECM, 1995)
• Proverbs and Songs (ECM, 1997)
• Bluesand with Karin Krog (Meantime, 1999)
• Coruscating (ECM, 2000)
• Invisible Nature with Jack DeJohnette (ECM, 2002)
• Free and Equal (ECM, 2003)
• Way Back When (Cuneiform, 2005)
• The Spaces in Between (ECM, 2007)
• Rain on the Window with Howard Moody (ECM, 2008)
• Brewster's Rooster (ECM, 2009)
• Flashpoint: NDR Jazz Workshop (Cuneiform, 2011)
• Saltash Bells (ECM, 2012)
• Songs About This and That with Karin Krog (Meantime, 2013)
• Another Sky (Grappa, 2014)
• Infinite Paths with Karin Krog (Meantime, 2016)
• Invisible Threads (ECM, 2018)
• Words Unspoken (ECM, 2024 with Rob Luft, Thomas Strønen & Rob Waring)

See also

In Spanish: John Surman para niños