John Surman

Born in Tavistok (Devon) on August 30, 1944, British saxophonist, clarinettist and keyboardist John Surman is renowned for his lyrical, exploratory playing, blending jazz, traditional music, free improvisation and electronics. From the 1960s onwards, he distinguished himself on the London free jazz scene alongside Mike Westbrook and John McLaughlin, before founding The Trio with Barre Phillips and Stu Martin (1970). He then began a long collaboration with the German label ECM, where he developed an introspective, atmospheric style. His major albums include Upon Reflection (1979), a solo with multiple overdubs, The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon (1981) with Jack DeJohnette and Coruscating (2000) with a string ensemble. In addition to commercially successful albums such as Westering Home (1972), Private City (1987) and A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe (1996), John Surman has also composed for film and ballet, and experimented with a host of prestigious colleagues. After a tribute to John Dowland, group experiments with the Trans4mation String Quartet and the quartet album Brewster's Rooster, the musician collaborated with the Bergen Big Band for the album Another Sky (2015), then with pianist Nelson Ayres for Invisible Threads (2018). In 2023, he records Words Unspoken with a string quartet, then reunites with Norwegian singer Karin Krog for the adventurous Electric Element (2025).