STEVE LACY
Genres: Avant-Garde Jazz, Hard Bop, Post Bop, Jazz Related Improv, Composition • United States

Steve Lacy (July 23, 1934 – June 4, 2004), born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York, was an innovative jazz soprano saxophonist. Lacy began his career working with dixieland music with masters such as Henry "Red" Allen, George "Pops" Foster and Zutty Singleton and then with Kansas City jazz players like Buck Clayton, Dicky Wells, and Jimmy Rushing before jumping into the heart of the avant-garde by performing on the debut album of Cecil Taylor, and making a notable appearance on an early Gil Evans album. His most enduring relationship, however, has been with the music of Thelonious Monk: Lacy recorded the first all-Monk album (Reflections, Prestige, 1958) and played in Monk's band briefly in 1960 and on Monk's Big Band/Quartet album (Big Band and Quartet in Concert, Columbia, 1963). Monk tunes became a permanent part of his repertoire, making an appearance in virtually every concert appearance and on albums. read more...