# List of free improvising musicians and groups

This is a list of musicians and groups who compose and play free music, or free improvisation. In alphabetical order:

## Musicians

* Susan Alcorn – pedal steel guitar
* Jason Alder – clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet
* Thomas Ankersmit – saxophone, synthesizer
* Albert Ayler – saxophone
* Richard Barrett – electronics, sampler
* Derek Bailey – guitar
* Conny Bauer – trombone
* Burkhard Beins – percussion
* Samm Bennett – percussion, electronics
* Han Bennink – percussion
* Steve Beresford – piano
* Jean-Jacques Birge – synthesizer
* Jeb Bishop – trombone
* Anthony Braxton – saxophones
* John Wolf Brennan – piano, prepared piano, melodica, pipe organ
* Olie Brice – double bass
* Peter Brötzmann – saxophone, tárogató
* Tony Buck – percussion
* John Butcher – saxophone
* Captain Beefheart – saxophone, clarinet, voice
* Kent Carter – double bass
* Graham Clark – violin
* Ornette Coleman – saxophone
* Tom Cora – cello, bass guitar, drums
* Lol Coxhill – saxophone
* Marilyn Crispell – piano
* Stephen Crowe – guitar, electric guitar
* Alvin Curran - electronics
* Chris Cutler – percussion
* Tobias Delius – saxophone
* Poulomi Desai - modified sitars and electronics
* Christy Doran – guitar
* Mark Dresser – double bass
* Kevin Drumm – guitar, synthesizer
* Paul Dunmall – saxophone
* Ellery Eskelin – tenor saxophone
* Karlheinz Essl – electronics
* Julia Feldman – voice
* Simon H. Fell – double bass
* Robert Fripp - guitar, mellotron
* Fred Frith – guitar, violin
* Cor Fuhler – piano, keyolin, synthesizer
* Bernhard Gal – electronics
* Joel Garten – piano
* Charles Gayle – saxophone, piano, bass clarinet
* Seppe Gebruers – the first improvised quartertone pianist
* Richard Grayson – piano
* Mats Gustafsson – saxophone, flutophone
* Barry Guy – double bass
* Keiji Haino – guitar, voice
* Hans Hassler - accordion
* Gerry Hemingway – drums
* Zach Hill – drums
* Killick Erik Hinds – h'arpeggione
* Tim Hodgkinson – saxophone
* Theo Joergensmann – basset clarinet
* Ryan Jones – electric bass
* Henry Kaiser – guitar
* Leonel Kaplan – trumpet
* Basil Kirchin – drums
* Peter Kowald – double bass
* Savina Yannatou – voice
* Caroline Kraabel – saxophone
* Steve Lacy – saxophone
* Kathryn Ladano – bass clarinet
* Yuri Landman – string instruments
* Jeanne Lee – voice
* Thomas Lehn – synthesizer
* George E. Lewis – trombone, electronics
* Joelle Leandre – double bass, vocals
* Fred Lonberg-Holm – cello
* Paul Lovens – drums
* Paul Lytton – drums
* Frederik Magle – organ
* Radu Malfatti – trombone
* Joe Maneri – saxophone, clarinet
* Mario Mariani – piano, objects
* Elio Martusciello – computer, guitar
* Mattin
* Guerino Mazzola – piano
* Misha Mengelberg – piano, toys
* Phil Minton – voice
* Louis Moholo – drums
* Gabriela Montero – piano
* Michael Moore – saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
* Thurston Moore – guitar
* Butch Morris – cornet, conductor
* Jamie Muir – percussion
* Stephen Nachmanovitch – violin, electric violin, viola
* Lauren Newton - voice
* Maggie Nicols – voice
* Mary Oliver – violin, viola
* Tony Oxley – percussion
* Sonia Paço-Rocchia – bassoon, found and invented instruments, live electronics
* Evan Parker – saxophones
* William Parker – double bass
* Mike Patton – voice, piano, synthesizer
* Barre Phillips – double bass
* Andreas Paolo Perger – guitar
* Pierre Pincemaille – organ
* Eddie Prevost – percussion, drums
* Sun Ra — Keyboards, piano, minimoog
* Randy Raine-Reusch – zheng, khaen, sho, kayageum, ichigenkin
* Lee Ranaldo – guitar
* Marc Rebillet — electronics, keyboards, voice
* Hans Reichel – guitar, daxophone
* Ernst Reijseger – cello
* Omar Rodriguez-Lopez – guitar
* Keith Rowe – guitar
* John Russell – guitar
* Paul Rutherford – trombone
* Frederic Rzewski
* Carlos Sandoval – gloves with sensors
* Giancarlo Schiaffini – trombone
* Alexander von Schlippenbach – piano
* Steven Schoenberg – piano
* Irene Schweizer – piano
* Matthew Shipp – piano
* Gary Smith – guitar
* John Stevens – percussion, trumpet
* György Szabados – piano
* Cecil Taylor – piano
* Benedict Taylor – viola
* Pat Thomas – piano, keyboards
* John Tilbury – piano
* Keith Tippett – piano
* Julie Tippetts – voice
* Tommy Vig – vibraphone, drums
* Bernard Vitet – trumpet
* Voice Crack – electronics
* Philipp Wachsmann – violin
* John Bruce Wallace – electric guitar
* Jane Wang (composer and musician) – double bass
* Trevor Watts – saxophone
* Kenny Wheeler – trumpet
* Wolter Wierbos – trombone
* Wu Fei - guzheng
* Otomo Yoshihide – guitar, turntable
* Reynaldo Young – guitar, electronics
* Carlos Zingaro – violin, electronics
* John Zorn – saxophone
* Frank Zappa – Guitar
* Jerry Garcia – Guitar, Face Stealer
* Bob Weir – Guitar
* Phil Lesh – Bass Guitar
* Bill Kreutzmann – Drums
* Mickey Hart – Drums, Percussion
* Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – Hammond organ, Harmonica
* Keith Godchaux – Piano
* Trey Anastasio – Guitar, Face Melter
* Mike Gordon – Bass Guitar
* Page McConnell – Piano, Keyboards
* Jon Fishman – Drums

## Groups

* A Band
* AMM
* Borbetomagus
* Brotherhood of Breath
* EOTO
* Feminist Improvising Group
* Fred Frith Trio
* Goose
* Grateful Dead
* Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza
* Henry Cow
* Henry Now
* Islak Köpek
* King Crimson
* Last Exit
* M.I.M.E.O.
* Massacre
* MATH
* Maybe Monday
* Mujician
* Musica Elettronica Viva
* nmperign
* Phish
* poire z
* Scatter
* Shaking Ray Levis
* Skeleton Crew
* Spontaneous Music Ensemble
* Storm & Stress
* Supersilent
* Triangulation
* Un Drame Musical Instantane
* Wolf Eyes
* Zoochosis
* Zoviet France
* Pandemonium