Subgenre

Free Jazz

298 profiles tagged Free Jazz, A-Z.

Free jazz emerged in the United States around 1959 to 1960, taking its name from saxophonist Ornette Coleman's 1960 album Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation, as musicians sought to abandon fixed chord changes, standard song form, and steady tonal centers in favor of open collective improvisation. It is marked by extended techniques, dissonance, shifting or absent meter, and an emphasis on spontaneous group interaction over pre-set harmonic structure. Ornette Coleman, pianist Cecil Taylor, and saxophonists Albert Ayler and John Coltrane (in his final years) are its most influential figures.

Aaron Stewart Tenor saxophone Achille Succi Alto saxophone Aki Takase Piano Akira Sakata Alto Saxophone Albert Ayler Tenor saxophone ✦ 1936–1970 Albert Beger Tenor saxophone Alberto Braida Piano Alberto Mandarini Trumpet Alberto Tacchini Piano Aldo Romano Drums Alexandra Grimal Tenor Alice Coltrane Piano ✦ 1937–2007 Allan Chase Alto and soprano saxophone (also baritone on later recordings) Andrea Centazzo Percussion Andrea Grillini Drums Andrea Grossi Double bass Andrew Cyrille Drums Angelo Olivieri Trumpet Anthony Braxton Saxophones (sopranino through contrabass) Antonio Borghini Double Bass Archie Shepp Tenor Saxophone Ariel Bart Chromatic harmonica Arrigo Cappelletti Piano Art Ensemble of Chicago Quintet Asaf Shchori Double bass Asaf Sirkis Drums Assaf Hakimi Double bass Assif Tsahar Tenor saxophone Asuka Kaneko Violin Attilio Zanchi Double Bass Aviran Ben Naim Piano Ben Street Double bass Beppe Scardino Baritone Saxophone Bill Dixon Trumpet ✦ 1925–2010 Bill McHenry Tenor saxophone Billy Higgins Drums ✦ 1936–2001 Bob Stewart Tuba (early credits also on trumpet and flugelhorn) Boris Savoldelli Vocals Bruce Arnold Guitar Bruno Romani Alto & Soprano Saxophone ✦ 1960–2025 Bruno Tommaso Double Bass Carla Marciano Alto Saxophone Carlos Ward Alto saxophone ✦ 1940–2026 Caterina Palazzi Double Bass Cecil McBee Double bass Cecil Taylor Piano ✦ 1929–2018 Chad Taylor Drums Charles Gayle Tenor saxophone ✦ 1939–2023 Charlie Haden Double bass ✦ 1937–2014 Chico Freeman Tenor saxophone Chris Tordini Double bass Christopher Hoffman Cello Claudio Cojaniz Piano Claudio Lodati Guitar Cooper-Moore Piano Craig Taborn Piano Cristiano Calcagnile Drums Cristina Mazza Alto Saxophone Daniele Cavallanti Tenor Saxophone Daniele D'Agaro Clarinet Danilo Gallo Double bass Danilo Terenzi Trombone ✦ 1956–1995 Dave Holland Double bass Dave Phillips Double bass David Murray Tenor Saxophone Dewey Redman Tenor saxophone ✦ 1931–2006 Dimitri Grechi Espinoza Alto Saxophone Dimitri Sillato Piano Don Cherry Cornet ✦ 1936–1995 Ehran Elisha Drums Elvin Jones Drums ✦ 1927–2004 Emanuele Maniscalco Piano Emanuele Parrini Violin Enrico Fazio Double bass Enrico Rava Trumpet Eraldo Volonté Tenor saxophone ✦ 1918–2003 Eric Dolphy Alto Saxophone ✦ 1928–1964 Eric Revis Double bass Erik Friedlander Cello Ernesto Rodrigues Viola Eugenio Colombo Alto Saxophone Eyal Netzer Tenor saxophone Eyal Talmudi Tenor saxophone Fabio Sartori Piano Fabrizio Puglisi Piano Federico Calcagno Clarinet Federico Ughi Drums Francesca Remigi Drums Francesco Bigoni Tenor Saxophone Francesco Chiapperini Bass Clarinet Francesco Cusa Drums Francesco D'Errico Piano Francesco Diodati Electric Guitar Francesco Lo Cascio Vibraphone Franco D'Andrea Piano Franco Tonani Drums Frank Lowe Tenor saxophone ✦ 1943–2003 Frank Wright Tenor Saxophone ✦ 1935–1990 Fred Hersch Piano Fumio Itabashi Piano Furio Di Castri Double bass Gabriel Meyer Bass Gabriele Evangelista Double Bass Gabriele Mitelli Trumpet Gaetano Liguori Piano Gary Peacock Double bass ✦ 1935–2020 Gato Barbieri Tenor saxophone ✦ 1932–2016 George Adams Tenor saxophone ✦ 1940–1992 George Garzone Tenor saxophone Gerald Cleaver Drums Gerry Hemingway Drums Giancarlo Schiaffini Trombone Gianluigi Trovesi Clarinet Gianni Bedori Tenor Saxophone ✦ 1930–2005 Gianni Gebbia Alto Saxophone Gianni Lenoci Piano ✦ 1963–2019 Giorgio Azzolini Double bass ✦ 1928–2024 Giorgio Gaslini Piano ✦ 1929–2014 Giorgio Pacorig Piano Giovanni Maier Double bass Giulio Corini Double Bass Glauco Benedetti Tuba Greg Murphy Piano Guglielmo Pagnozzi Clarinet Guido Mazzon Trumpet Hagai Fershtman Drums Haim Peskoff Drums Hamid Drake Drums Harold Rubin Clarinet ✦ 1932–2020 Henry Grimes Double bass ✦ 1935–2020 Henry Threadgill Alto saxophone Hiroaki Katayama Tenor Saxophone ✦ 1951–2018 Hiroaki Mizutani Double Bass Hōzan Yamamoto Shakuhachi (bamboo flute) ✦ 1937–2014 Ido Bukelman Electric guitar Isao Suzuki Double bass ✦ 1933–2022 Itaru Oki Trumpet ✦ 1941–2020 James Blood Ulmer Electric guitar ✦ 1940–2026 James Carter Tenor James Newton Flute Jimmy Garrison Double bass ✦ 1934–1976 Joanne Brackeen Piano Joe Gallant Bass (upright and electric) Joëlle Léandre Double bass John Coltrane Tenor saxophone ✦ 1926–1967 John Zorn Alto saxophone Jongkuk Kim Drums Joris Teepe Double bass Julia Feldman Vocals Julius Hemphill Alto saxophone ✦ 1938–1995 Jun Suzuki Double Bass Junji Hirose Tenor saxophone Kaoru Abe Alto saxophone ✦ 1949–1978 Kazuo Imai Guitar Kazutoki Umezu Alto saxophone Keith Jarrett Piano Ken Tsunoda Drums Kenny Wessel Guitar Koichi Matsukaze Alto saxophone ✦ 1948–2023 Kris Davis Piano Kyoko Kuroda Piano Lee Konitz Alto saxophone (also soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet, voice) ✦ 1927–2020 Leroy Jenkins Violin ✦ 1932–2007 Louis Belogenis Tenor Saxophone Luca Tilli Cello Luciano Caruso Soprano Saxophone Luigi Vitale Vibraphone Mal Waldron Piano ✦ 1925–2002 Marc Ribot Guitar Marcello Abate Guitar Marcello Magliocchi Drums Marcello Melis Double bass ✦ 1939–1994 Marco Centasso Double bass Marco Colonna Clarinet Marco Luparia Drums Mario Schiano Alto saxophone ✦ 1933–2008 Martin Mayes French horn Masa Kamaguchi Double bass Masabumi Kikuchi Piano ✦ 1939–2015 Masahiko Satoh Piano Masahiko Togashi Drums ✦ 1940–2007 Masami Nakagawa Flute Masami Shinoda Alto saxophone ✦ 1958–1992 Masayuki Takayanagi Guitar ✦ 1932–1991 Massimiliano Milesi Tenor Saxophone Massimo Barbiero Drums Massimo De Mattia Flute Massimo Urbani Alto saxophone (tenor saxophone early on) ✦ 1957–1993 Mat Maneri Violin Matteo Bortone Double Bass Matteo Paggi Trombone Maurizio Brunod Electric guitar Maurizio Giammarco Tenor Saxophone Mauro Gargano Double bass Mauro Negri Clarinet Max Roach Drums ✦ 1924–2007 Maya Dunietz Piano Mehdi Chaib Tenor saxophone Michael Blake Tenor saxophone Michele Rabbia Percussion Michiyo Yagi Koto (13, 17, 18 and 21-string) Milena Jančurić Flute Milton Michaeli Piano Mirio Cosottini Trumpet Mirko Signorile Piano Motoharu Yoshizawa Double bass ✦ 1931–1998 Muhal Richard Abrams Piano ✦ 1930–2017 Muhammad Ali (drummer) Drums Nadav Masel Double bass Natsuki Tamura Trumpet Nelide Bandello Drums Nello Toscano Double bass Nitzan Birnbaum Drums Nobu Stowe Piano Nobuyoshi Ino Double Bass Ofer Bymel Drums Oliver Lake Alto saxophone Ori Kaplan Saxophone (alto, baritone) Ornette Coleman Alto saxophone ✦ 1930–2015 Otomo Yoshihide Guitar Paolo Botti Viola Paolo Damiani Cello Paolo Pellegatti Drums Paolo Vicari Drums Pasquale Mirra Vibraphone Pat Metheny Guitar Paul Bley Piano ✦ 1932–2016 Paul Motian Drums ✦ 1931–2011 Perry Robinson Clarinet ✦ 1938–2018 Peter Kowald Double bass ✦ 1944–2002 Phalanx Quartet Pharoah Sanders Tenor saxophone ✦ 1940–2022 Piero Bittolo Bon Alto Saxophone Pino Minafra Trumpet Prima Materia Quintet Rashied Ali Drums ✦ 1933–2009 Reggie Workman Double bass Reut Regev Trombone Riccardo Pittau Trumpet Roberto Bellatalla Double Bass Roberto Cecchetto Guitar Roberto Ottaviano Soprano Saxophone Roberto Tarenzi Piano Roberto Zorzi Guitar Roscoe Mitchell Saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, sopranino) Roswell Rudd Trombone ✦ 1935–2017 Ryojiro Furusawa Drums ✦ 1945–2011 Sachi Hayasaka Alto saxophone Salvatore Maiore Double Bass Sam Rivers Tenor saxophone ✦ 1923–2011 Sandro Cerino Saxophones (alto, soprano, tenor, baritone, sopranino) Sandro Satta Alto Saxophone Satoko Fujii Piano Satoshi Takeishi Drums Sebi Tramontana Trombone Sergio Armaroli Vibraphone Sergio Rigon Baritone Saxophone ✦ 1934–2014 Shay Hazan Double bass Shoji Hano Drums Silvia Bolognesi Double bass Simone Massaron Electric guitar Sirone Double bass ✦ 1940–2009 Slava Ganelin Piano Stefano Giust Drums Steve Lacy Soprano saxophone ✦ 1934–2004 Steve Peskoff Guitar Stomu Takeishi Electric bass Sun Ra Piano ✦ 1914–1993 Sunny Murray Drums ✦ 1936–2017 Takashi Kako Piano Takeo Moriyama Drums Tamio Kawabata Double bass ✦ 1947–2000 Terumasa Hino Trumpet Tetsu Saitoh Double bass ✦ 1955–2019 Tino Tracanna Saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) Tito Mangialajo Rantzer Double bass Tiziano Tononi Drums Tony Cattano Trombone Toshinori Kondo Trumpet (acoustic and electric/amplified) ✦ 1948–2020 Tyshawn Sorey Drums Umberto Petrin Piano Underground Spiritual Game Trio Vincenzo Mazzone Drums Wadada Leo Smith Trumpet Wilber Morris Double bass ✦ 1937–2002 William Parker Double bass Yaron Herman Piano Yiftach Kadan Guitar Yitzhak Yedid Piano Yoav Zohar Drums Yoni Kretzmer Tenor saxophone Yoni Silver Bass clarinet Yoriyuki Harada Piano Yoshisaburo Toyozumi Drums Yosuke Yamashita Piano Zeno De Rossi Drums Ziv Taubenfeld Bass clarinet Zoe Pia Clarinet

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