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Jazz Articles about Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy: Clinkers
by Robert Spencer
In an interview in Cadence magazine not too long ago, Steve Lacy spoke about the Sixties in highly unusual and unexpected terms, as a period when the baby was often thrown out with the bathwater as musicians threw out set forms and experimented. Lacy himself was, of course, one of the foremost experimenters. Although his sound is highly distinct and immediately recognizable, he has changed considerably since the Sixties - as he progressively incorporates the sonic discoveries of that period ...
Continue ReadingSteve Lacy/Roswell Rudd: Monk's Dream
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although this recording would mark their first reunion since the early '60s and the times of their School Days quartet, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy and Roswell Rudd have much in common, going back to their collective roots in Dixieland jazz. Both would take the cue of Cecil Taylor and other “new thing" artists in an attempt to open new horizons for jazz, Lacy as a leader of his own groups over the years and Rudd as an integral part of ...
Continue ReadingSteve Lacy Seven: Cliches
by Glenn Astarita
One wonders why it took so long for this gem to hit the bins! Cliches by the “Steve Lacy Seven” was recorded in 1982 and newly released on the hatOlogy label. Here, Lacy performs three pieces, which were part of his repertoire during the 70’s along with other compositions of equal significance. The opener, “Stamps” boasts a large ensemble sound partly due to the excellent audio engineering by Peter Pfister who generally possesses the Midas touch and is without a ...
Continue ReadingSteve Lacy with Irene Aebi at Diverse Works in Houston
by Frank Rubolino
Steve Lacy with Irene Aebi Diverse Works Houston, TX October 19, 1999 Houston promoter, curator, trombonist, and staunch supporter of the arts David Dove spearheaded a stellar concert in Houston this Fall that rewarded the enthusiastic audience with a delightfully creative set. Steve Lacy with Irene Aebi performed on October 19, 1999, at Diverse Works, a contemporary art center specializing in visual art, modern dance, theater, and music. Steve Lacy, the master of ...
Continue ReadingSteve Lacy Trio: The Rent
by Derek Taylor
For someone as relentlessly prolific as Lacy the number of trio recordings attributable to the his name are a comparative few. This two disc set goes a long way towards bolstering the number. With long-time compatriots Avenel and Betsch in tow Lacy affords himself the opportunity to stretch out at length in front of an enviably fortunate Portland audience. The discs are logically and conveniently divided along set demarcations. Both deliver the goods as Lacy flirts with and unravels the ...
Continue ReadingSteve Lacy + 6: The Cry
by Robert Spencer
Steve Lacy, the great master of the soprano saxophone and one of the unacknowledged greatest improvisers ever, continues a long series of art songs and settings of poetry in this new 2-disc set from Soul Note, the always challenging Italian label. Stretching back to the Sixties Lacy and vocalist Irene Aebi have recorded songs by lyricists including Lacy himself, 19th-century American novelist Herman Melville, poet Robert Creeley, a group of modern Russian poets, and many more. The Cry is a ...
Continue ReadingSteve Lacy +6: The Cry
by AAJ Staff
Having established his reputation as an insightful interpreter of Monk in the late '50s and early '60s, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy drew political attention with his 1973 anti-Vietnam suite The Woe. Adding to his continuum of political song-cycles, Lacy collaborates on his new epic work The Cry with Bangladeshi activist Taslima Nasrin. Nasrin's '93 novella Laija was banned in Muslim Bangladesh for its subversive feminist content. After the publication of her novel, several fatwas were issued against Nasrin. Following her ...
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