John Tchicai

John Martin Tchicai (/tʃɪˈkaɪ/chih-KYE; 28 April 1936 – 8 October 2012)^[1] was a Danishfree jazz saxophonist and composer.

John Tchicai
Tchicai at Münster Jazz Festival, 1987)
Background information
Birth name	John Martin Tchicai
Born	(1936-04-28)28 April 1936 Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	8 October 2012(2012-10-08) (aged 76) Perpignan, France
Genres	Free jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument	Saxophone
Years active	1962–2012

Biography

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Tchicai was born inCopenhagen,Denmark, to a Danish mother and a Congolese father.^[2] The family moved toAarhus, 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 trumpeterBill Dixon and saxophonistArchie Shepp at a festival inHelsinki, Finland.^[1] At their suggestion, he moved toNew York City the following year, and went on to participate in theOctober Revolution in Jazz and join theNew York Contemporary Five and theNew York Art Quartet. He also played on a number of influential free jazz recordings, including Shepp'sFour for Trane,Albert Ayler'sNew York Eye and Ear Control,John Coltrane'sAscension, and theJazz Composer's Orchestra'sCommunication.^[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 withMusica Elettronica Viva and performed inmulti-media events. Tchicai was a founding member ofAmsterdam'sInstant Composers Pool in 1968, and in 1969 took part in the recording ofJohn Lennon andYoko Ono'sUnfinished 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 asWilli the Pig. On this record, he plays with Swiss pianistIrène 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 toDavis, California, in 1991, where he led several ensembles. He was awarded aNational Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1997. He was a member ofHenry Kaiser andWadada Leo Smith's "Yo Miles" band, a loose aggregation of musicians exploringMiles Davis's electric period.

Since 2001, he had been living nearPerpignan in southern France. On 11 June 2012, he suffered abrain hemorrhage in an airport inBarcelona,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 titledA 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] WriterRichard Williams called the book an "intimate and valuable account of (Tchicai's) life and work".^[7]

Discography

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As leader / co-leader

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1968:Cadentia Nova Danica (Polydor) withKarsten Vogel, Hugh Steinmetz, Kim Menzer,Max Brüel, Steffen Andersen, Giorgio Musoni, Yvan Krill, Robidoo
1969:Afrodisiaca (MPS) withCadentia Nova Danica
1975:Willi the Pig (Willisau) withIrène Schweizer,Buschi Niebergall, Makaya Ntshoko
1977:Darktown Highlights (Storyville) with Simon Spang-Hanssen, Peter Danstrup, Ole Roemer
1977:Real Tchicai (SteepleChase) withPierre Dørge,Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
1977:Solo (FMP) withAlbert Mangelsdorff
1978:Barefoot Dance (Marge) withAndré 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) withHartmut 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) withVitold Rek
1993:Grandpa's Spells (Storyville) withMisha Mengelberg
1995:Love Is Touching (B&W) with the Archetypes
1998:Love Notes From The Madhouse (8th Harmonic Breakdown) withYusef 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) withVitold Rek andKarl Berger
2002:On Top of Your Head (Ninth World)
2003:Hope Is Bright Green Up North (CIMP) withPierre 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) withAndrew Cyrille andReggie 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) withGeorge 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, andBilly Hart
2015:Clapham Duos (Treader) withEvan Parker
2015:27 September 2010 (Otoroku) with Tony Marsh and John Edwards
2017:Du Maurier, Vancouver Jazz Festival, 1988 (Condition West) withVinny Golia,Bill Smith, Clyde Reed, Gregg Simpson
2020:Live at the Stone (Minus Zero)

As sideman

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WithAlbert Ayler

New York Eye and Ear Control (1964,ESP-Disk)

With the Berlin Jazz Workshop Orchestra

Who Is Who? (1979, FMP)

With the Binder Quintet

Binder Quintet Featuring John Tchicai (1983, Krém)

WithWillem Breuker andJohan van der Keuken

Music For His Films 1967 / 1994 (1997, BV Haast)

WithBrotherhood of Breath

Yes Please (1981, In and Out)

With the Brus Trio

Soaked Sorrows (1988, Dragon)

WithBurnin' Red Ivanhoe

M 144 (1969, Sonet)

WithCurtis Clark

Letter to South Africa (1987, Nimbus) withErnst Reijseger, Ernst Glerum,Louis Moholo

WithJohn Coltrane

Ascension (1965,Impulse!)

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)

WithPierre 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