A Short Bio:
|
|
After
studying sax and theory with Aubrey Frank, the teenage Lowen
'Lol' Coxhill organised club sessions comprising
live contemporary jazz plus recordings of modern jazz
musicians such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie,
Lennie Tristano, Miles Davis and Stan Kenton. Then from
1950 to 1951 he was 'temporarily inconvenienced by
national service in the Royal Air Force' but for the
rest of that decade he was a member of Denzil Bailey's
Afro-Cubists (Dizzy Gillespie, Machito compositions/
arrangements); the Graham Fleming Combo touring US air
bases in England (Gerry Mulligan/Chet Baker
compositions); and Sonny G and the G Men (R&B,
standards). He also guested with established British
contemporary jazz players, including Joe Harriott, Tubby
Hayes, Oxford University Jazz Band as well as playing
solo jazz and improvisations on the saxophone.
From
1962 onwards, Coxhill started playing gigs as
leader, many of them solo performances. Much of the
early to mid 1960s was taken up with touring and
accompanying/supporting visiting US artists such as
Rufus Thomas (with the television and video release of
"Walking The Dog"), Martha & the Vandellas,
Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Mose Allison, and to some
extent this continued into the 70's with tours by Otis
Spann, Champion Jack Dupree, Lowell Fulson and Alexis
Korner. However, between 1968 and 1972 Coxhill
was a member of pianist Steve Miller's band Delivery
alongside Phil Miller, Pip Pyle and Roy Babbington, then
of the Kevin Ayers & The Whole World alongside David
Bedford, Mike Oldfield and numerous drummers, as well as
performing in the Coxhill/Bedford duo and the Coxhill/Miller
duo.
The
twelve years from 1973 saw Lol Coxhill become
more well known as an improvising musician and solo
player, with appearances thoughout Great Britain,
Europe, the US, Japan and Canada. At the same time he
undertook numerous collaborations with improvisors (as a
member of Company), jazz musicians (as a member of the
Brotherhood of Breath, 1974-76), rock and punk groups
(Henry Cow, The Damned), as well as appearing with
experimental theatre groups such as Welfare State (of
which he was musical director for some time). Other
collaborations included Trevor Watts 'Moiré Music',
Spontaneous Music Ensemble, and AMM. The Recedents (with
Roger Turner and Mike Cooper) was formed in this period
to perform electro-acoustic improvisations and has been
a long-standing interest along with The Melody Four
(with pianist Steve Beresford and clarinet player Tony
Coe), formed in 1981 for the Chantenay festival -
performing original and standard songs, film music,
theatre music, jazz and improvisations - a duo with Pat
Thomas, a duo with Adam Bohman (both electro-acoustic
improvisations though of a rather different hue) and
membership of the Dedication Orchestra.
Lol
Coxhill has also worked occasionally in television
and films with a part in Sally Potter's London story,
Ken Campbell and Nigel Evans' The madness museum and
Derek Jarman's Caravaggio. In 1983 he was the subject of
an Arts Council documentary film, Frog Dance. As
a leader, he has been a fixture of the French label
Nato, releasing a string of albums including The
Dunois Solos (1982) and Cou$cou$ (1983).
June 1998 saw him reunited with most of his former
Delivery colleagues for a benefit gig for Steve Miller
at London's Vortex Jazz Bar. (Sadly Steve died of cancer
six months later)
|
