John Tchicai

• Genre: Free Jazz
• Hometown: Copenhagen

About

Danish-born saxophonist John Tchicai appeared on a slew of classic recordings from the Free Jazz era of the 1960s, including John Coltrane's Ascension, Archie Shepp's Four for Trane, and Albert Ayler's New York Eye and Ear Control.. His sax work stands out on these records due to his dry, diminutive tone and thoughtful, considered lines, each of which were unique in that era of gutbucket wailing. Since then, he's developed a somewhat more aggressive, down-to-business quality to his still idiosyncratic playing style. His own recordings -- most of which have come since the late 1970s -- have gone on to explore areas outside of Free Jazz, as with the groove-inflected, rock-flavored Love is Touching (1995).

- Will York