The disciple of Charlie Parker. The heir of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. The partner of Eric Dolphy. Sonny Simmons stands tall.

Sonny has played with many of the greats of free jazz including Don Cherry, Anthony Braxton, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Sunny Murray, Lonnie Liston Smith, Elvin Jones and many more.

Sonny made a number of striking albums in the 1960’s. Though not a die-hard avant-gardist like Ornette Coleman and Jimmy Lyons, he sticks in his own provocative way to the tradition. He was then a leading figure of the Free Jazz scene in NYC, cutting legendary records. Moving to California he became an underground hero with the likes of Bert Wilson, James Zitro, Smiley Winters and producer James Bronson Jr.

Then, there was nothing. Sonny Simmons suffered a spectacular eclipse during the 70’s and 80’s. With the West Coast no longer providing work he ended up in the streets. Playing kept him alive and he managed to maintain working groups throughout most of this “lost period” producing hours of incredible music that are still to be released.

Gradually he began to build a local reputation again. Remerging in the 90’s he has had a spectacular come back forming a string of groups with Oliver Lake, Sunny Murray, Michael Marcus, Anthony Braxton, Bobby Few and many others.

LINKS

www.sonnysimmons.org

John Edwards

Since taking up the double bass in 1987 and playing with the Pointy Birds and the Cholomondeleys dance company he went on to play with B Shops for the Poor, The Honkies and GOD as well as busking in the street and composing and performing music theatre with The Great Explorers. Since the early 1990s he has built a reputation as one of the finest, and most in demand bass players currently active on the British and European improv/ jazz and New music scenes- a first choice for musicians such as Evan Parker, Louis Moholo, Veryan Weston, Charles Hayward and Spring Heel Jack- Other groups include BRUISE and the Obliquity trio with Alan Wilkinson and Noble.

A solo double bass cd ‘VOLUME’ was released in 2008 on the PSI label.

LINKS

http://www.myspace.com/wilkinsonedwardsnoble

http://www.myspace.com/nobleedwardsward

Charlie Collins

Born and raised in Sheffield UK, Charlie is a product of the city’s rich improvising tradition. He started playing drums age 11, began playing improvised music in 1969, played both RnB and free-jazz through the 70s, and by 1978 was involved in the nascent “Industrial” scene. He was an early member of ClockDVA and founder of The Box, recording for cult labels Industrial, Fetish and Doublevision, and recorded the first releases on the legendary Go!Discs.

Since the mid '80s he has recorded and toured throughout Europe with regular groups and ad-hoc ensembles. He continues to work in all aspects of contemporary creative music.

Since 2007 he has played regularly with Sonny Simmons, collaborated with theremin player Beatrix Ward-Fernandez and worked with free-folk collective The Hunter Gracchus. He has also toured with Ted Daniel and Michael Marcus in their Duology project and played with Rob Brown and Daniel Levin.

He is one of a handful of musicians to have played both Derek Bailey’s Company Week and Top of the Pops (with Moloko).

LINKS