Lol Coxhill

Famous for his unaccompanied, unorthodox concerts and albums, Lol Coxhill has an immediately identifiable soprano and sopranino style. Hes perhaps Steve Lacys prime rival in getting odd sounds out of the soprano with his wrenching, twisting, quirky solos. While Coxhills an accomplished saxophonist and can play conventional bebop, its his winding, flailing soprano and sopranino lines that make him stand out. He actually started playing more conservatively; Coxhill backed visiting American soul and blues vocalists in the 60s, playing behind Rufus Thomas, Lowell Fulson, and Champion Jack Dupree. He worked with Stephen Millers group Delivery in 1969 and 1970, and played with them at the Berlin Music Festival. But his debut album, Ear of the Beholder, established a new direction for Coxhill. Since then, hes worked with both bebop and free musicians, among them Chris McGregor, Trevor Watts, Bobby Wellins, and Company. Coxhills also played with such groups as the Recedents, Standard Conversions, and the Melody Four.