John Surman's set up

[yaucante]

:P OK, this might get controversial as I know the brittish multi-instrumentists John Surman is a love or hate affair. I belong to the first category (listen to him on track 2 of Abercrombie's November!) and since he's mostly recorded on ECM, there are hardly ever pictures of the instrument or liner notes to know more about the players. I can't find a homepage either, so Surman remains a bit of a mystery. Plus I've never seen him on stage.

I guess I've always been curious to know what kind of bari and set-up Surman has used besides playing many other things. His sound is so different from most other bari players and the combination of bari and soprano seems toi have influenced his tone a lot, as you can hear similar qualities on both instruments (and I don't know what soprano set-up he plays either).

So, even if some of you think it's just not jazz or blues or whatever, but you have some information about Surman, I'd be very happy to read it.

Y.

[Big Nick]

I've just had a squint at an oldish (10 years?) video I've got of Surman playing, and it looks like he's still playing the MkVIs (sop and bari) that he used to when I first saw him (about 30 years ago). I couldn't recognise the sop mpc but the bari looked like a Berg Larsen.
I think he still lives round here somewhere (Kent, UK) so, if I bump into someone who's seen him recently, I'll ask.
What's controversial? This is a sax forum and John Surman is a very good sax player whether you regard his music as jazz or not.
I took up sax 30 years ago because of him and Elton Dean - so, from my point of view, he has alot to answer for! :D

[yaucante]

thanks a lot. I did not mean to be looking down on Surman, whom I truly respect and has been a great influence for me too. And you're right, my comments were perhaps out of place on this sax forum. It's just that I've had this sort of reaction (disdain) from a certain number of people when mentioning Surman, and bridge-builders or innovators like him tend to be either praised or shunned altogether. But, with me, there's no question.

I was not sure it was a Mark VI although it sounded like a French sax, Buffet perhaps. Was the BAri a Low A? About the mouthpiece, I suppose it was a steel Berg (?). It's funny, although I'm from a younger generation, I've never heard of him touring outside of Britain and I hope I will have an opportunity to hear him live one day.

Cheers.

Y.

[Subtone Sam]

yaucante,this is some info I found in Down Beat magazine from -85:

John Surman´s equipment:
-Selmer MKVI baritone (no low A) with Berg Larsen 125/1 metal mouthpiece and Rico Royal No.5 reeds.
-MKVI soprano,Selmer ebonite "E" mouthpiece and Rico Royal No.4 reeds
-Noblet bass clarinet with standard Noblet mouthpiece (refaced) and Bari Hard plastic reeds.

[yaucante]

Thanks Subtone Sam. This is a good deal of interesting information and I appreciate it. I've been looking for this for a while. Well, if anyone hears of John Surman touring in Europe or the U.S, I'd be interested to know.

Y.

[T.S.]

Surman is one of my favorite bari players...He can get around that horn like few can.
I think his Berg is bronze model at least that's how it looks in the John Fordham book on jazz picture.

[amg]

Hallo All -- I last saw John Surman about 5 years ago; he was playing a solo gig (with some tape backing) in Cambridge, UK. I wanted to ask him about his soprano because I'd just seen a photo of him with an old Conn soprano in his hand ... but he never remembered playing one, he said it must have been a horn he borrowed while his Mark VI was in for a repair. His bari was certainly a Mark VI (low Bflat), but he knocked me out most of all playing bass clarinet, playing a totally solo latin-style improvisation (as his warm-up number) which I have to say was one hundred percent jazz.

[gege]

J. Surman is one of the best and most interesting single reed player i know. The june 2003 edition of the "fono forum" , a classical music magazine shows a picture of him and Jack Dejohnette. Surman holds a soprano in his hands. The mouthpiece looks like a Selmer soloist. The soprano has a curved but not detachable neck. The only instrument with this "neck - version" i know is the Yamaha YSS 62. Does anyone know this instrument?, da you think Surman has changed from MK VI to Yamaha?
gege

[surfinsaxman]

J. The soprano has a curved but not detachable neck. The only instrument with this "neck - version" i know is the Yamaha YSS 62. Does anyone know this instrument?, da you think Surman has changed from MK VI to Yamaha?
gege

2 years later:
Yes he did. :)


http://www.johnsurman.com/bio_5.html

[AbrahamFackle]

Berg Larsen 125/1 metal mouthpiece and Rico Royal No.5 reeds..

I don't think I'd be able to get a sound out of that. Wow.

---

Just googled his website and discovered that he also uses a berg 105 (it didn't specify chamber size).

It also says he also plays alto and contrabass clarinets, (I've only heard him on bass and saxes). Does anyone know of an album where he used 'em? The world needs more alto clarinet.

[mark_m]

I love his work on John McLaughlin's first album... I think it was Extrapolation, great album.

[saxbruce]

If you have'nt heard John Surman play, listen to this short clip -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/jazz/reviews/rams/gsurman_free1.ram

The track is called Sea Change
This is from a 2003 ECM production, John Surman/Jack DeJohnette - 'FREE AND EQUAL'

[gege]

It also says he also plays alto and contrabass clarinets, (I've only heard him on bass and saxes). Does anyone know of an album where he used 'em? The world needs more alto clarinet.

Alt Clarinet on "A Biography of the Reverend Absalom Dawe", ECM 1528, (1995)

Contrabass on "Coruscating" ECM 1702, (2000)

BTW: Surman played in Vienna 2 days ago, I had a ticket but was very sad laying in bed with a bad cold..... :x http://www.porgy.at/

[AbrahamFackle]

Alt Clarinet on "A Biography of the Reverend Absalom Dawe", ECM 1528, (1995)

Contrabass on "Coruscating" ECM 1702, (2000)


I'm going to buy those.. and then be the only person in the US who owns three Surman albums...

[Kritavi]

I bought each Surman LP as ECM put them out and thought it was some of the greatest music out there. If I had a turntable I would play them again.