Steve Lacy (saxophonist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steve Lacy
Lacy in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Steven Norman Lackritz
Born	(1934-07-23)July 23, 1934 New York City, U.S.
Died	June 4, 2004(2004-06-04) (aged 69)
Genres	Jazz, dixieland, avant-garde jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Soprano saxophone

Steve Lacy (born Steven Norman Lackritz; July 23, 1934 – June 4, 2004) was an American jazz musician. He played the soprano saxophone and was also a talented composer. Steve Lacy became famous in the 1950s for his unique style of jazz, which mixed old-school "Dixieland" jazz with newer, more experimental sounds. He had a very long and successful career, always exploring new musical ideas.

Lacy's music was often melodic and well-organized, even when he was trying out new things. He was also known for writing his own songs, which often started with a simple, repeated musical idea. A big part of his music was inspired by the famous jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. Steve Lacy played in Monk's band for a while, and after that, Monk's songs were almost always part of Lacy's concerts and albums. He often worked with trombonist Roswell Rudd to play Monk's music. Besides Monk, Lacy also played songs by other great jazz composers like Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington. He usually preferred playing these jazz compositions over popular songs.

Early Life and Musical Start

Steve Lacy started his music journey at just 16 years old. He played Dixieland music, which is an early style of jazz, with musicians much older than him. Some of these early partners included Henry "Red" Allen and Pee Wee Russell. He also played with famous Kansas City jazz artists like Buck Clayton.

Later, Steve Lacy became interested in avant-garde jazz. This is a more experimental and modern style of jazz. He played on Jazz Advance (1956), which was the first album by the groundbreaking musician Cecil Taylor. Lacy also performed with Taylor's group at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, a very important event in jazz. But his strongest connection was with the music of Thelonious Monk. Steve Lacy made the first album that only featured Monk's songs, called Reflections (1958). He even played in Monk's band for a short time in 1960.

Life in Europe and His Main Band

Steve Lacy first visited Europe in 1965. He traveled to Copenhagen and Italy, where he formed a band with musicians from different countries. After a short time back in New York, he returned to Italy. Then, in 1970, he moved to Paris, France, where he lived for most of his life. He became a very respected musician in Europe, even though he was not as well-known in the United States.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, Steve Lacy's main group was his sextet (a six-person band). This group included his wife, Irene Aebi, who sang and played violin, along with other talented musicians like Steve Potts on saxophone and Bobby Few on piano. Sometimes, this group would get bigger for special projects, and other times it would shrink to a quartet (four musicians), a trio (three), or even just two saxophones. Lacy also became very skilled at playing the saxophone by himself, a challenging type of performance called "solo saxophone."

Steve Lacy loved all kinds of art, especially painting and poetry. He often worked with painters and dancers on projects that combined music with other art forms. He also created music for poems and writings by his favorite authors, like Robert Creeley and Samuel Beckett. He even set parts of the ancient Chinese text, the Tao Te Ching, and Japanese haiku poems to music.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1992, Steve Lacy received a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship, often called a "genius grant." This award recognizes very talented people in different fields.

He also worked with many different musicians, from those who played traditional jazz to those who explored modern classical music. Outside of his main sextet, he often played with pianist Mal Waldron. They recorded several albums together, including Sempre Amore (1987), which featured songs by Duke Ellington.

Steve Lacy returned to the United States in 2002. He started teaching music at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. One of his last public performances was for a large crowd of 25,000 people at a peace rally in Boston in March 2003.

Steve Lacy was diagnosed with liver cancer in August 2003. He continued to play music and teach until just a few weeks before he passed away on June 4, 2004, at the age of 69. He left behind a huge collection of recordings and a lasting impact on jazz music.

Selected Discography

Steve Lacy recorded many albums as a leader and with other musicians. Here are some of his important works:

As a Leader or Co-Leader

• Soprano Sax (1957)
• Reflections (1959) - His first album featuring only Thelonious Monk's music.
• The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy (1961)
• The Forest and the Zoo (1967) - Recorded in Buenos Aires.
• Epistrophy (1969)
• Trickles (1976)
• Only Monk (1987) - Another album dedicated to Thelonious Monk's music.
• Momentum (1987)
• The Door (1989)
• Anthem (1990)
• Live at Sweet Basil (1992)
• Vespers (1993)
• The Cry (1999)
• Monk's Dream (2000)

With Mal Waldron

Steve Lacy often collaborated with pianist Mal Waldron. They made several duet albums together:

• Sempre Amore (1987)
• Hot House (1991)
• Communiqué (1997)

As a Sideman (Playing with Others)

Steve Lacy also played with many other famous musicians:

• With Cecil Taylor on Jazz Advance (1957)
• With Thelonious Monk on Big Band and Quartet in Concert (1964)
• With Gil Evans on Gil Evans & Ten (1958) and other albums.
• With Miles Davis on Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962).
• With Roswell Rudd on Blown Bone (1979).