Serman, John

John Serman was born in the city of Tavistock in County Devon in 1944. In the mid-1960s, he played the baritone saxophone (later mastered the soprano saxophone and bass clarinet) as a member of Mike Westbrook's ensembles , Peter Lemaire , Alexis Corner and Graham Collier ^[6] .

In 1969, he performed as a trio with American double bass player Barr Phillips and drummer Stu Martin .

In 1970 he joined the SOS saxophonists group, taking on the part of the baritone saxophone, Mike Osbourne played the alto saxophone and Alan Skidmore played the tenor saxophone. In the same period he collaborated with guitarist John McLaughlin , saxophonist Ronnie Scott, composer Michael Gibbs, trombone player Albert Mangelsdorf, pianist Chris McGregor. The team in this composition performed under the name Brotherhood of Breath .

In 1972 he recorded the album Westering Home, where he first tried himself as an arranger. With most of the musicians with whom Serman began to collaborate during these years, he worked fruitfully and subsequently: with pianist John Taylor, double bass player Chris Lawrence, drummer John Stanley Marshall, Norwegian jazz singer Karin Krog , American drummer and pianist Jack DeJonett.

From 1974 to 1979 he worked at the Paris Opera with the ballet troupe Caroline Carlson .

In addition, at different times he worked with double bass player Miroslav Vitus, pianist Paul Bleigh, double bass player Harry Peacock , guitarists Terje Ryupdahl and John Abercrombie, trumpeter Tomasz Shtanko, musician Gil Evans ^[7] .

John Serman is one of the leading musicians at ECM Records . In a limited series of discs devoted to the work of the best artists of the label, there was also a collection of Serman (among other artists whose works were released in the series, Ian Garbarek , Arild Andersen , Keith Jarrett , Chick Koria and others were noted).

Although Serman plays various instruments, he prefers mainly the baritone saxophone, which is why he is often put on a par with Jerry Mulligan . The musician himself recalls that in the early years of the concert activity he was much more worried about “how to carry this block behind you than how to play it” ^[8] .

He works not only in jazz music, but also in academic and church music, often turns to folklore. The 1996 album Proverbs an songs ( Russian Proverbs and Songs ) was recorded with the participation of the choir of the Salisbury Cathedral of eighty people, whose spiritual leadership ordered him to compose opus ^[8] , and organist John Taylor. All compositions are based on texts from the Old Testament. The Coruscating album featured a classic string quintet. Together with John Potter and the Hilliard Ensemble he performed compositions by John Dowland . He is a member of a rather rare trio of instruments, where, in addition to Serman's saxophone, the double bass of Dave Holland and oud Anaura Braham are played . Recorded in a pilot project of drum and bass musician Spring Heel Jack.

• 1999: Spellemannprisen in the Jazz category, received award with Karin Krog for Bluesand album
• 2013: The Jazz FM Award album of the year (for the Saltash Bells album, the writing of which was inspired by childhood memories of chime bells in Cornwall) ^[3]
• 2013: Spellemannprisen in the Jazz category, again sharing the award with Karin Krog for the joint album Songs About This And That

As a Leader

• John Surman ( Deram Records , 1968), the debut album on which you can hear the influence of Caribbean music
• How Many Clouds Can You See? (Deram, 1970)
• Way Back When (1969), together with John Taylor, John Stanley Marshall and Mike Osborne, in 2005 the album was reissued to Cuneiform Records
• Live in Altena (1970)
• Room 1220 (Trio, 1970), in collaboration with Albert Mangelsdorf
• The Trio ( Dawn , 1970), with Barr Phillips and Stu Martin
• Conflagration (Dawn, 1970), with Dave Holland , Nick Evans, and Kenny Wheeler
• Tales of the Algonquin (Deram, 1971), together with John Warren, Vennie Wheeler, Mike Osborne and Alan Skidmore
• By Contact (Ogun, 1971)
• Westering Home ( Island , 1972)
• Morning Glory (Island Records, ILPS 9237, 1973), with the participation of Terrier Rupdal
• Bass Is ( Enja , 1974)
• Live at Woodstock Town Hall (Dawn, 1976), in a duet with Stu Martin
• Live at Moers Festival ( Moers , 1975), with the participation of Tony Levin
• Upon Reflection (ECM, 1979)
• The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon (ECM, 1981), in a duet with Jack DeJonett
• Such Winters of Memory (ECM, 1982)
• Withholding Pattern (ECM, 1985), solo
• Private City (ECM, 1987)
• Road to Saint Ives (ECM, 1990)
• Adventure Playground (ECM, 1991), with Paul Bleigh, Harry Peacock and Tony Oxley
• The Brass Project (ECM, 1992), with the participation of John Warren
• Stranger than Fiction (ECM, 1994), John Serman Quartet Recording
• Nordic Quartet (ECM, 1994), with the participation of Karin Krog, Terje Ryupdal and Wigleck Storaas
• A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe (ECM, 1995)
• Proverbs and Songs (ECM, 1997)
• Coruscating (ECM, 1999), with Trans4mation String Quartet and Chris Lawrence
• Invisible Nature (ECM, 2000)
• Free and Equal (ECM, 2002)
• The Spaces in Between (2006)
• The Rainbow Band Sessions (Losen, 2011)
• Rain on the Window (2008), featuring organist Howard Moody
• Brewster's Rooster (2009), with Jack DeJonett, John Abercrombie, and Drew Gress
• Saltash Bells (ECM, 2012)
• Songs About This And That ( Meantime , 2013), with contributions from Karin Krog, Ivor Kolv, Bjorn Klackegg, Terje Hewelt and Tom Ulstad
• Invisible Threads (ECM, 2018), featuring Nelson Aers, Rob Waring

Compilation

• Rarum, Vol. 13 Selected Recordings (ECM, 2004)
• Glancing Backwards (Sanctuary, 2006), an anthology of compositions recorded for Dawn Records (1970-1976)

As an invited member

With John Abercrombie

• November (ECM, 1992)

With Mikhail Alperin

• First Impression (ECM, 1997)

With Paul Bley

• Fragments (ECM, 1986)
• The Paul Bley Quartet (ECM, 1987)
• In the Evenings Out There (ECM, 1991)

With Anaur Braham

• Thimar (ECM, 1997)

With Mick Goodrick

• In Pas (s) ing (ECM, 1979)

With Karin Krog

• Cloud Line Blue (Meantime, 1978)
• Freestyle (Odin, 1986)
• Bluesand (Meantime, 1999)

With John McLaughlin

• Extrapolation (Marmalade, 1969)
• Where Fortune Smiles (Dawn, 1970)

With Mike Osbourne

• Shapes (Future Music, 1972)

With Barr Phillips

• Mountainscapes (ECM, 1976)
• Journal Violone II (ECM, 1979)
• Music by ... (ECM, 1980)

With John Potter

• In Darkness Let Me Dewll (ECM, 1999)
• Care-Charming Sleep (ECM, 2003)
• Romaria (ECM, 2006)

With Tomas Shtanko

• From the Green Hill (ECM, 1998)

With Wall Tracy

• Sonatinas (Steam, 1978)

With Miroslav Vitus

• First Meeting (ECM, 1979)
• Miroslav Vitous Group (ECM, 1980)
• Journey's End (ECM, 1982)

With Richard Galliano

• Nino Rota (Deutsche Grammophon, 2011)

With Mike Westbrook Orchestra

• Celebration (Deram, 1967)
• Release (Deram, 1968)
• Marching Song (Deram, 1969)
• Citadel / Room 315 (RCA, 1975)

• Serman Albums