Steve Lacy (saxophonist)

Steve Lacy
Lacy in 1976
Lacy in 1976
Background information
Birth nameSteven Norman Lackritz
Born(1934-07-23)July 23, 1934
New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 4, 2004(2004-06-04) (aged 69)
GenresJazz, dixieland, avant-garde jazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentSoprano saxophone
Formerly ofRed Allen, Pee Wee Russell, Pops Foster, Thelonious Monk, Mal Waldron, Roswell Rudd, Cecil Taylor, Michail Bezverkhni

Steve Lacy (born Steven Norman Lackritz; July 23, 1934 – June 4, 2004) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone.[1] Coming to prominence in the 1950s as a progressive dixieland musician, Lacy went on to a long and prolific career. He worked extensively in experimental jazz and to a lesser extent in free improvisation, but Lacy's music was typically melodic and tightly-structured. Lacy also became a highly distinctive composer, with compositions often built out of little more than a single questioning phrase, repeated several times.

The music of Thelonious Monk became a permanent part of Lacy's repertoire after a stint in the pianist's band, with Monk's works appearing on virtually every Lacy album and concert program; Lacy often partnered with trombonist Roswell Rudd in exploring Monk's work. Beyond Monk, Lacy performed the work of jazz composers such as Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington and Herbie Nichols; unlike many jazz musicians he rarely played standard popular or show tunes.

  1. ^ "Steve Lacy | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 29, 2021.