Curlew (band)
Encyclopedia
Curlew is an experimental free jazz
group founded by saxophone
player George Cartwright
in 1979. Members of the band have included cellist Tom Cora
, guitarists Davey Williams
and Fred Frith
, and bassist Bill Laswell
.
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
group founded by saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
player George Cartwright
George Cartwright (musician)
George Cartwright Born in Midnight, Mississippi, December 10, 1950, George Cartwright is most notably known as the founder of the band Curlew in 1979 in New York City. Besides playing soprano, alto and tenor saxophones he has composed music for Curlew, his own solo recordings and other music...
in 1979. Members of the band have included cellist Tom Cora
Tom Cora
Thomas Henry Corra , better known as Tom Cora, was a United States cellist and composer, best known for his improvisational performances in the field of experimental jazz and rock...
, guitarists Davey Williams
Davey Williams (musician)
Davey Williams is an American free improvisation and avant-garde music guitarist. In addition to his solo work, he has been noted for his membership in Curlew and his collaborations with LaDonna Smith.-Biography:...
and Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
, and bassist Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
.
Discography
- Curlew (1984, Landslide)
- Live in Berlin (1986, Cuneiform RecordsCuneiform RecordsCuneiform Records is an independent record label based in Silver Spring, Maryland.The label releases a mixture of musical styles, including progressive jazz, modern fusion music, progressive rock, the Canterbury Scene and electronic music...
) - North America (1986, Moers)
- Bee (1990, Cuneiform)
- A Beautiful Western Saddle (1993, Cuneiform)
- Paradise (1995, Cuneiform)
- Fabulous Drop (1998, Cuneiform)
- Meet the Curlews! (2002, Cuneiform)
- Mercury (2003, Cuneiform)
- Gussie [live] (2003, Roaratorio)