Lol Coxhill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lol Coxhill
Coxhill at the Red Rose Club in North London, 2007
Background information
Birth name	George William Lowen Coxhill
Born	19 September 1932 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Died	10 July 2012(2012-07-10) (aged 79) London, England
Genres	Free improvisation
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone

Lol Coxhill (born George Lowen Coxhill, September 19, 1932 – July 10, 2012) was a super talented English musician. He was famous for playing the saxophone, especially the soprano and sopranino saxophones. Lol was known for his unique style called 'free improvisation,' which means he made up music as he went along!

About Lol Coxhill's Life

Early Life and Musical Start

Lol Coxhill was born in Portsmouth, England. He grew up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. He bought his very first saxophone in 1947. After serving in the military, he became a busy musician. He toured with bands like Denzil Bailey's Afro-Cubists. In the 1960s, he played with famous American blues, soul, and jazz artists. These included Rufus Thomas and Mose Allison.

Lol also started playing the saxophone all by himself. He would often perform on the street, which is called busking. He loved playing with other musicians as a partner. He wasn't usually the main leader of a band. Instead, he worked with many different musicians over the years.

Working with Bands and Other Artists

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Lol was part of some interesting bands. These included Carol Grimes and Delivery. He also played with Kevin Ayers and his band, The Whole World.

He became well-known for his solo performances. He also played amazing duets with pianist Steve Miller and guitarist G. F. Fitzgerald. Many people believe that Joni Mitchell's song "For Free" was inspired by Lol. She might have seen him busking on the Hungerford Bridge in London.

Lol worked with many other famous musicians. These included Mike Oldfield and the Damned. He also collaborated with Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath. He even worked with a performance art group called Welfare State.

Humor in Music

Lol often played in small groups with funny names. One was the Johnny Rondo Duo. Another was the Melody Four, which was usually a trio! He also had a band called The Recedents. He said they were called that because all the members were "bald."

These bands would mix free improvisation with popular dance tunes. Lol used humor in his music. But he sometimes had to tell his audience that his free playing was not a joke.

Lol was also a compere (like a host) at the Bracknell Jazz Festival. He was a great storyteller. He would often introduce his music by saying, "what I am about to play you may not understand."

Family Life

Lol Coxhill had three children who are also musicians. His son Simon is a punk drummer. His daughter Claire is a singer. His daughter Maddie sings and plays in a ukulele band. All three of his children appeared with him on a song called "I am the Walrus."

On July 26, 2007, Lol married Ulrike Gertrud Scholz. They had been together since 1991.

Music Albums (Discography)

Lol Coxhill released many albums during his career. Here are some of them:

• Ear of Beholder (1971)
• Toverbal Sweet (1972)
• Coxhill/Miller/Miller/Coxhill (1973)
• Welfare State & Lol Coxhill (1975)
• Fleas in Custard (1975)
• Diverse (1977)
• Lid (1978)
• The Joy of Paranoia (1978)
• Moot (1978)
• Digswell Duets (1979)
• Slow Music (1980)
• Chantenay 80 (1981)
• Instant Replay (1983)
• French Gigs (1983)
• The Dunois Solos (1984)
• Cou$cou$ (1984)
• The Inimitable (1985)
• 10:02 (1985)
• Cafe De La Place (1986)
• Frog Dance (1986)
• Before My Time (1987)
• Termite One (1990)
• The Holywell Concert (1990)
• Solo (1990)
• Halim (1993)
• Three Blokes (1994)
• One Night in Glasgow (1995)
• Xmas Songs (1998)
• Boundless (1998)
• Alone and Together (1999)
• Mouth (2001)
• Worms Organising Archdukes (2002)
• Spectral Soprano (2002)
• Milwaukee 2002 (2003)
• Out to Launch (2003)
• Darkly (2006)
• Darkly Again (2006)
• More Together Than Alone (2007)
• The Early Years (2007)
• Fine Tuning (2010)
• Success with Your Dog (2010)
• The Rock On the Hill (2011)
• Old Sights, New Sounds (2011)
• Sitting On Your Stairs (2013)
• Morphometry (2020)

As a Guest Musician

Lol Coxhill also played on many albums for other artists.

• With Kevin Ayers:
  • Shooting at the Moon (1970)
  • The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories (1974)
• With Company:
  • Company 6 (1978)
  • Company 7 (1978)
• With others, including Shirley Collins, The Damned, and Robert Wyatt.

Film and TV Appearances

Lol Coxhill also appeared in some films and TV shows!

• He played a hospital patient in the 1982 film Walter.
• A documentary about him called Frogdance was shown on TV in 1987.
• He had a small role as a butler in the 1992 film Orlando.
• He played a priest in the 1986 film Caravaggio.
• He also appeared as a priest in the 1989 film Cold Light of Day.

See also

In Spanish: Lol Coxhill para niños