Danish jazz saxophonist and composer
John Tchicai
John Tchicai (Münster Jazz Festival 1987)
Birth name John Martin Tchicai Born (1936-04-28 ) 28 April 1936
Copenhagen , DenmarkDied 8 October 2012(2012-10-08) (aged 76)
Perpignan , France Genres
Free jazz Occupation(s) Musician, composer Instrument(s)
Saxophone Years active 1962–2012
Musical artist
John Martin Tchicai (
chih-KYE ; 28 April 1936 – 8 October 2012)
[1] was a Danish
free jazz saxophonist and composer.
Biography
Tchicai was born in
Copenhagen ,
Denmark , to a Danish mother and a Congolese father.
[2] The family moved to
Aarhus , where he studied violin when young, and in his mid-teens began playing clarinet and alto saxophone, focusing on the latter.
[3] By the late 1950s, he was travelling around northern Europe, playing with many musicians.
In 1962, he met trumpeter
Bill Dixon and saxophonist
Archie Shepp at a festival in
Helsinki .
[1] At their suggestion, he moved to
New York City the following year, and went on to participate in the
October Revolution in Jazz and join the
New York Contemporary Five and the
New York Art Quartet . He also played on a number of influential free jazz recordings, including Shepp's
Four for Trane ,
Albert Ayler 's
New York Eye and Ear Control ,
John Coltrane 's
Ascension , and the
Jazz Composer's Orchestra 's
Communication .
[4]
Following his work in New York, Tchicai returned to Denmark in 1966, and shortly thereafter focused most of his time on music education. He formed the small orchestra Cadentia Nova Danica with Danish and other European musicians; this group collaborated with
Musica Elettronica Viva and performed in
multi-media events. Tchicai was a founding member of
Amsterdam 's
Instant Composers Pool in 1968, and in 1969 took part in the recording of
John Lennon and
Yoko Ono 's
Unfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lions .
On 30 August 1975 Tchicai's appearance at the Willisau Jazz Festival was recorded and released later that year as
Willi the Pig . On this record, he plays with Swiss pianist
Irène Schweizer . Tchicai returned to a regular gigging and recording schedule in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, he switched to the tenor saxophone as his primary instrument. In 1990, he was awarded a lifetime grant from the Danish Ministry of Culture.
[3]
Tchicai and his wife relocated to
Davis, California , in 1991, where he led several ensembles. He was awarded a
National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1997. He was a member of
Henry Kaiser and
Wadada Leo Smith 's "Yo Miles" band, a loose aggregation of musicians exploring
Miles Davis 's electric period.
Since 2001 he had been living near
Perpignan in southern France. On 11 June 2012 he suffered a
brain hemorrhage in an airport in
Barcelona ,
Spain . He was recovering and had canceled all appearances when he died in a Perpignan hospital on 8 October 2012, aged 76.
[5]
2021 saw the publication of a biography titled "A Chaos with Some Kind of Order", written by Margriet Naber, Tchicai's former wife and collaborator for 20 years, and published by Ear Heart Mind Media.
[6] Writer
Richard Williams called the book an "intimate and valuable account of (Tchicai's) life and work".
[7]
Discography
As leader / co-leader
1968: Cadentia Nova Danica (
Polydor ) with
Karsten Vogel , Hugh Steinmetz, Kim Menzer,
Max Brüel , Steffen Andersen, Giorgio Musoni, Yvan Krill, Robidoo
1969: Afrodisiaca (MPS) with
Cadentia Nova Danica
1975:
Willi the Pig (Willisau) with
Irène Schweizer ,
Buschi Niebergall , Makaya Ntshoko
1977: Darktown Highlights (Storyville) with Simon Spang-Hanssen, Peter Danstrup, Ole Roemer
1977: Real Tchicai (
SteepleChase ) with
Pierre Dørge ,
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
1977: Solo (FMP) with
Albert Mangelsdorff
1978: Barefoot Dance (Marge) with
André Goudbeek
1978: Duets (SVM) with André Goudbeek
1978: John Tchicai & Strange Brothers (FMP) with Peter Danstrup, Ole Rømer, Simon Spang-Hansen
1980: Live In Athens (Praxis) (solo concert)
1981: Continent (Praxis) with
Hartmut Geerken
1983: Merlin Vibrations (Plainisphare) with the John Tchicai Orchestra
1985:
Cassava Balls (Praxis) with Hartmut Geerken,
Don Moye
1987:
The African Tapes Volume 1 (Praxis) with Hartmut Geerken,
Don Moye
1987: Timo's Message (
Black Saint ) with Christian Kuntner, Thomas Dürst, Timo Fleig
1987: Put Up The Fight (Storyville)
1988:
The African Tapes Volume 2 (Praxis) with Hartmut Geerken,
Don Moye
1988: Tchicai / Clinch (Olufsen Records) with Clinch (Christer Irgens-Møller, Peter Friis-Nielsen, Pierre Oliver Jürgens)
1992: Satisfaction (Enja) with
Vitold Rek
1993: Grandpa's Spells (Storyville) with
Misha Mengelberg
1995: Love Is Touching (B&W) with the Archetypes
1998: Love Notes From The Madhouse (8th Harmonic Breakdown) with
Yusef Komunyakaa
1999: Life Overflowing (Nada) with Charlie Kohlhase
2000: John Tchicai's Infinitesimal Flash (Buzz Records) with Francis Wong, Adam Lane,
Mat Marucci
2001: Anybody Home? (Tutl)
2001: 2 X 2 (Taso) with
Vitold Rek and
Karl Berger
2002: On Top of Your Head (Ninth World)
2003: Hope Is Bright Green Up North (CIMP) with
Pierre Dørge and Lou Grassi
2003: Dos (CIMP) with Adam Lane
2005: John Tchicai With Strings (Treader)
2005:
Big Chief Dreaming (
Soul Note ) with Garrison Fewell, Massimo Manzi, Tino Tracanna, Paolino Dalla Porta
2005: Hymne til Sofia – Hymn to Sophia (Calibrated) with Kristian Høeg, Ib Bindel,
Frederik Magle , Peter Ole Jørgensen, and others
2006: Witch's Scream (TUM) with
Andrew Cyrille and
Reggie Workman
2006: Good Night Songs (Boxholder) with Charlie Kohlhase and Garrison Fewell
2007: Boiler (Ninth World Music) with Thomas Agergaard, Peter Ole Jørgensen,
Sirone
2008: Coltrane In Spring (ILK Music) with Jonas Müller, Nikolas Munch-Hansen, and Kresten Osgood
2008: No Trespassing (Azzurra) with Ice9
2008: One Long Minute (NuBop) with John Tchicai's Five Points
2008: Schlachtfest Session II (Klangbad)
2009: Treader Duos (Treader) with Tony Marsh (one track)
2009: In Monk's Mood (SteepleChase) with
George Colligan ,
Steve LaSpina ,
Billy Drummond
2009: Look To The Neutrino (Zerozerojazz) with the Lunar Quartet
2010: Truth Lies In-Between (Hôte Marge)
2012: West Africa Tour (Sierra Leone, Liberia & Guinea), April 1985 (Sagittarius A-Star)
2013:
Tribal Ghost (
NoBusiness ) with Charlie Kohlhase, Garrison Fewell,
Cecil McBee , and
Billy Hart
2015: Clapham Duos (Treader) with
Evan Parker
2015: 27 September 2010 (Otoroku) with Tony Marsh and John Edwards
2017: Du Maurier, Vancouver Jazz Festival, 1988 (Condition West) with
Vinny Golia ,
Bill Smith , Clyde Reed, Gregg Simpson
2020: Live at the Stone (Minus Zero)
As sideman
With
Albert Ayler
With the Berlin Jazz Workshop Orchestra
With the Binder Quintet
Binder Quintet Featuring John Tchicai (1983, Krém)
With
Willem Breuker and
Johan van der Keuken
Music For His Films 1967 / 1994 (1997, BV Haast)
With
Brotherhood of Breath
Yes Please (1981, In and Out)
With the Brus Trio
Soaked Sorrows (1988, Dragon)
With
Burnin' Red Ivanhoe
With
Curtis Clark
With
John Coltrane
With Peter Danstrup
Reptiles in the Sky (2010, Gateway)
Beautiful Untrue Things (2012, Gateway)
With Dell – Westergaard – Lillinger
Dell – Westegaard – Lillinger feat. John Tchicai (2012, Jazzwerkstatt)
With
Pierre Dørge
Ballad Round the Left Corner (1980, Steeplechase) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen,
Billy Hart
Ball At Louisiana (1983, Steeplechase)
Brikama (1984, Steeplechase) with New Jungle Orchestra
Very Hot, Even The Moon Is Dancing (1985, Steeplechase) with New Jungle Orchestra
Johnny Lives (1987, Steeplechase) with New Jungle Orchestra
Different Places - Different Bananas (1989, Olufsen) with New Jungle Orchestra
Peer Gynt (1989, Olufsen) with New Jungle Orchestra
Live In Chicago (1991, Olufsen) with New Jungle Orchestra
Giraf (1998, Dacapo Records) with New Jungle Orchestra
With
Johnny Dyani
With John Ehlis
John Ehlis Ensemble (1996, Sivac)
Along the Way (2012, Sivac)
With The Engines
With Garrison Fewell's Variable Density Sound Orchestra
Evolving Strategies (2012, Not Two)
With
Charles Gayle
Always Born (1988, Silkheart)
With
George Gruntz
Monster Sticksland Meeting Two – Monster Jazz (1974, MPS / BASF)
With Paul Hemmings
Letter From America (2007, Leading Tone Records)
With The
Instant Composers Pool
With The
Jazz Composer's Orchestra
With
Henry Kaiser and
Wadada Leo Smith
Yo Miles! Sky Garden (2003, Cuneiform Records)
Yo Miles! Upriver (2013, Cuneiform Records)
With Adam Lane
Fo(u)r Being(s) (2002, CIMP)
With
John Lennon and
Yoko Ono
With
Jorgen Leth
Jazz Jamboree 1962 Vol.4 (2013, Jazzhus Disk) (Leth's name is on the album although he is not a musician and does not play on it.)
With
New York Art Quartet
With
New York Contemporary Five
With Giancarlo Nicolai
Giancarlo Nicolai Trio & John Tchicai (1987, Leo Records)
With the Open Orchestra
The Spiritual Man (2009, Terre Sommerse)
With Francisco Mondragon Rio
With
Rent Romus
Adapt... or DIE! (1997, Jazzheads) with Lords of Outland
With
Archie Shepp
With Katrine Suwalski and Another World
Message of Love (2013, Gateway)
With
Cecil Taylor
With Triot
Sudden Happiness (2004, TUM)
With Wiebelfetzer
With
Yggdrasil
Den Yderste Ø (1981,
Tutl )
Yggdrasil (2002, Tutl)
Concerto Grotto (1984, Tutl)
Askur (2007, Tutl)
With De Zes Winden (The Six Winds)
Live At The Bim And More (1986, BV Haast)
Elephants Can Dance (1988, Sackville)
Man Met Muts (1990, BV Haast)
Anger Dance (1993, BV Haast)
Manestraal (1997, BV Haast)
References
^
a
b Ratliff, Ben (October 10, 2012).
"John Tchicai, Saxophone Player in Free Jazz Movement, Dies at 76" . New York Times . Retrieved March 3, 2021 .
^
"Dansk jazzlegende er død" (in Danish). AOK. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-08 .
^
a
b Huey, Steve.
"John Tchicai: Biography" . Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-10-01 .
^ Litweiler, John (1984). The Freedom Principle: Jazz after 1958 . Da Capo Press. pp. 131–137.
^ John Fordham (11 October 2012).
"John Tchicai obituary" .
The Guardian . Retrieved 2012-10-17 .
^
"John Tchicai: A chaos with some kind of order" . JohnTchicai.com . Retrieved December 21, 2021 .
^ Williams, Richard (June 21, 2021).
"Bookshelf 2: John Tchicai" . The Blue Moment . Retrieved December 21, 2021 .
Gallery
External links
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