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Alex Coke

Alex Coke, born in Dallas, Texas, an original member of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra, has performed with Tina Marsh in various formations for 22 years. For ten years he played and recorded with the internationally renowned Dutch jazz group, the Willem Breuker Kollektief. His various bands have included New Visions, the Live Action Brass Band, the Leadbelly Legacy Band, The Alex Coke/Paul Bollenback Duo, JAMAD, and his post-bop quintet, The Worthy Constituents, a collaboration with longtime partner, pianist Rich Harney with Martin Banks on trumpet. He has worked with Gerald Wilson, Charles Tolliver, James Polk, Jay Rozen, the Paradise Regained Orchestra and the Trio Henk de Jonge. He can also be heard with the John Jordan Trio, the Mysterious Quartet From Helsinki featuring Chris Duarte, Reeds and Deeds, and Rob Verdurmen's Double Drummer Bill.

Awards

2020 A.D.Mannion Award 2020 Texas State Musician Nominee 2020 Austin Jazz Society Hall of Fame Award 2010 Austin Chronicle Music Awards Hall of Fame Nominee 2007 Silver ADDY Award Winner 1990 Best Saxophonist, Music City Critics Poll/Austin Texas 1990 Best Jazz Bands Music City Critics Poll/Austin Texas (Countenance #1, and Worthy Constituents #3) 1990 Best Unsigned Bands Musician Magazine (Countenance, and Worthy Constituents) 1988-1989 Best Jazz Band, Austin Chronicle Music Awards (Chris Duarte and Justus)

Gear

Eva Kingma Bass and Alto Flutes Yamaha piccolo Muramatsu flute Chris Abell wooden headjoint Selmer Tenor/Soprano


Tags

21
Album Review

Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet: Emergence

Read "Emergence" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Emergence, the latest album by the Texas-based Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet, is by and large chamber jazz, veering often into the realms of avant-garde and free improvisation. The standard of musicianship is high, the urge to listen a second time rather less so--an opinion that must be qualified by the admission that it expresses a neophyte's point of view. The question thus becomes, what can be said about such an enterprise, given one's basic unfamiliarity ...

7
Album Review

Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet: Emergence

Read "Emergence" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


The Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet expand their sound on this album, the follow-up to their debut, The Emissary, (Play On, 2022). Their unique instrumental blend of reeds, guitar, pedal steel, vibes, harp, and bass retains its ethereal charm while also pushing forward into fresh musical territory. “Bagatelle II," by Ukrainian composer, Valentin Silvestrov, sounds like a medieval folk song. Its melody is laid out by Michel's guitar and Coke's flute while Carolyn Trowbridge's vibraphone and the ...

2
Radio & Podcasts

Alex Coke, Jeanne Lee, Steve Slagle and Others

Read "Alex Coke, Jeanne Lee, Steve Slagle and Others" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


This is a largely quieter and more contemplative show featuring a variety of artists such as Alex Coke, Bill Evans, Steve Slagle and Jeanne Lee. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Steve Slagle “The Heart Of It" from Ballads: Into The Heart Of It (Panorama) 00:57 Lew Tabackin Trio “Minoru" from Soundscapes (Self Produced) 09:29 Host Speaks 15:21 Alex ...

2
Album Review

Alex Coke & Carl Michel: The Emissary

Read "The Emissary" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


With instrumentation that includes harp, pedal steel guitar and vibraphone, this album is clearly not meant to resemble a classic jazz session. Instead, it ambitiously incorporates jazz, medieval composition and exotic folk melodies into a hypnotically beautiful set of diverse rhythms and motifs. The most austere selection is “O Pastor Animarum" by 12th century composer, Hildegarde von Bingen. Here Carl Michel's guitar, Elaine Barber's harp, and Bob Hoffnar's pedal steel guitar combine into a thick, iridescent weave of ...

10
Album Review

Alex Coke & Carl Michel: The Emissary

Read "The Emissary" reviewed by Kyle Simpler


While much of the world was in lockdown during 2020, saxophonist Alex Coke and harpist Elaine Barber had an idea that caught on. They decided to bring their instruments out on the driveway of the Austin, Texas home they were sheltering in and play music while waiting for their groceries to be delivered. These impromptu concerts turned out to be popular and soon became weekly events. The Emissary grew out of these concerts. The Coke-Barber combination opened up ...

241
Album Review

Alex Coke/Tina Marsh/Steve Feld: It's Possible

Read "It's Possible" reviewed by Elliott Simon


With the passing of Tina Marsh this past June (2009), the Creative Opportunity Orchestra or CO2 for short, lost its earthly voice and artistic visionary. While her CO2 is grand in scope, it most recently spawned this intimate meeting of her extraordinary voice, tenor saxophonist/flutist Alex Coke and Steven Feld who plays ashiwa, an African bass rhythm box. Marsh is in superb form here and her voice thrills, especially in the higher registers, as it dovetails beautifully ...

146
Album Review

Alex Coke: New Texas Swing

Read "New Texas Swing" reviewed by Jack Bowers


When one keeps glancing at the “elapsed time” while listening to the opening track on an album to see how much longer it has to run, that’s not a good sign. Alex Coke’s New Texas Swing, which was actually recorded in the Netherlands, is full of sound and fury, but its significance is lessened by unrelenting waves of clamorous intercourse.

Not to discount anyone's sincerity -- these are four accomplished musicians who undoubtedly believe in what they ...

Read more articles
81

Performance / Tour

Rich Harney Quintet in Austin on April 1

Rich Harney Quintet in Austin on April 1

Source: Michael Ricci

Austin is looking forward to a rare concert appearance of The Rich Harney Quintet on April 1, 2010 at The Elephant Room. Featuring Rich Harney on piano, and Alex Coke on sax and flutes, this promises to be an unforgettable evening of truly great jazz.

Harney, a prolific composer, has been illuminating Austin jazz as one of its brightest stars for many years. His remarkable talents as pianist, composer, and vocalist have gained him acclaim from musicians as one of ...

169

Recording

Austin Jazz Workshop Releases Mystery Note

Austin Jazz Workshop Releases Mystery Note

Source: All About Jazz

The Austin Jazz Workshop a nonprofit group of professional musicians dedicated to jazz performance and education in Austin public schools, is proud to release its fifth compact disc recording, Mystery Note: Austin Jazz Workshop plays Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

The disc features Alex Coke and Michael Melinger on flutes and saxophones, Ron Westray on trombone, Floyd Domino on piano, Michael Stevens on bass, and Rob Kazenel on drums.

The sextet plays compositions written or popularized by the great wind player, Rahsaan ...

191

Interview

Austin Music Foundation Presents Graham Reynolds Interview with Alex Coke

Austin Music Foundation Presents Graham Reynolds Interview with Alex Coke

Source: All About Jazz

Austin Music Foundation presents Graham Reynolds Interview with Alex Coke


Jazz listeners know, a gig where Alex Coke is playing is a great place to be. The audience finds the multi instrumental musician, composer and producer in many places, with a style all his own. This month, Club DeVille hosts The Austin Music Foundation's Small Group Session, Graham Reynolds Interview with Alex Coke.

Join AMF as they host one of Austin's most admired and ...

117

Performance / Tour

Alex Coke's "It's Possible" CD Release in New Mexico

Alex Coke's "It's Possible" CD Release in New Mexico

Source: All About Jazz

Alex Coke and Tina Marsh just returned from a truly great evening at Albuquerque's Outpost for the release of It's Possible. Joined by Steve Feld, Jefferson Voorhees, and New Texas Swing band member Arjen Gorter, the evening was well attended and inspiring. Tom Guralnick of The Outpost was reported to be an excellent and gracious host. It's Possible is a series of short improvised duos and trios with Alex on flutes, tenor saxophone and khaen, Tina's unique and illuminating vocals, ...

134

Radio

Alex Coke on austinjazz.net

Alex Coke on austinjazz.net

Source: All About Jazz

Alex Coke has a podcast interview on the new Austinjazz.net site where he talked about his personal history as a musician, jazz in Austin and the Live Music Task Force. The interviewer is Everett Christopher, who started the site as a gift to Austin's jazz community and fans. Hear it now. About Alex Coke Alex Coke, born in Dallas, Texas, an original member of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra, has performed with Tina Marsh in various formations for 22 years. For ...

196

Recording

Alex Coke's "Its Possible"

Alex Coke's "Its Possible"

Source: All About Jazz

It's Possible is a CD of duos and trios featuring Alex Coke on flute, bass flute, piccolo, tenor sax, khaen, and toys, with Tina Marsh, voice, toys and Steve Feld, ashiwa bass box, and toys.

Alex is an original member of Austin's Creative Opportunity Orchestra, and Tina its vocalist and Artistic Director. They have collaborated in the large group setting with CO2 for many years, and have also recorded in smaller groups formats, most recently as New Texas Swing.

Here ...

"Alex Coke...proves himself here to be not only a fine tenor saxophone
improviser but a daring conceptualist, unafraid to think in terms of long form
 or to bring an explicitly political sensibility to Jazz"—Jason Bivins

"There's no denying Coke's talent as a composer and orchestrator"—Chris Kelsey, Jazz Times

"...accomplished writing, improvising and ensemble playing ...an album that is impressive for its quality."—Doug Ramsey, Rifftides

Primary Instrument

Woodwinds

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

By Appt.

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Emergence

Play On
2023

buy

The Emissary

Play On
2021

buy

...

VoxLox
2014

buy

Ilebombo

Indy release
2013

buy

CME

From: Emergence
By Alex Coke

Sol Y Luna

From: The Emissary
By Alex Coke

Videos

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