Steve Lacy
American soprano saxophonist who brought the instrument back into modern jazz, and a performer with Musica Elettronica Viva.
Steve Lacy (1934–2004) was the first avant-garde jazz musician to specialize in the soprano saxophone, single-handedly returning the instrument to modern music after playing with Cecil Taylor, Gil Evans, and Thelonious Monk. In 1963 his quartet with Roswell Rudd, Henry Grimes, and Denis Charles recorded a live set of Monk repertoire, released in 1975 as School Days. From the 1980s on he formed a close duo partnership with pianist Mal Waldron, documented with Andrew Cyrille and Reggie Workman on The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (recorded 1995). Settling for a period in Rome after 1965, he began performing with Musica Elettronica Viva’s Alvin Curran and Frederic Rzewski in the group’s late-1960s improvisations.
Works in the Library
Steve Lacy, Steve Potts, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Irene Aebi, Bobby Few, Oliver Johnson, George Lewis ALBUM 1983
The Steve Lacy Seven's 1983 double LP, recorded live at IRCAM's Espace de Projection.
Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, Henry Grimes, Denis Charles ALBUM 1963
A 1963 live set of Thelonious Monk repertoire by Steve Lacy's quartet, released for the first time in 1975.
Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille ALBUM 1995
The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp
A 1995 live recording of Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy's quartet, released in 2024.
