RIP Paul Rutherford (British trombone master / jazz) *

The brilliant trombonist Paul Rutherford passed away this week; I just got the word through the DMG newsletter, a portion of which I've copied below:

We were sorry to hear of the passing of Paul Rutherford, British trombone master and guiding light of European free-improv and modern jazz for the past four decades.

Beginning with the early version of Spontaneous Music Ensemble in 1966, Rutherford played with many ensembles large (Mike Westbrook, Globe Unity, LJCO & Keith Tippett's Tapestry) and small. Paul worked with many of the best improvisers from Europe and the US, including Peter Brotzmann, Anthony Braxton, Lol Coxhill, Elton Dean, Evan Parker, Alex Von Sclippenbach, Paul Rogers & Paul Dunmall.

Mr. Rutherford is well-known for his pioneering solo trombone improvisations, especially his first one, 'The Gentle Harm of the Bourgeoisie' from 1974. Paul Rutherford also led the great Iskra 1903 & Iskra 1912 which featured Barry Guy, Derek Bailey and Phil Wachsmann, with a half dozen superb discs on Emanem. Paul Rutherford was a major influence on trombonists worldwide, as well as many improvising musicians of all stripes.

 

Very sad news indeed. The best memoral I can think of is to break out some of his seminal recordings and take a listen. Amazing work.

 

May there be a jazz band in heaven for you Paul. R.I.P.....

 

I saw/heard Globe Unity at a church in Harvard Sq. sometime in the 80's. The opportunities to hear that group live in the states have been rare as hen's teeth. IIRC, the trombone section was Rutherford, George Lewis, and Gunter Christmann. Rutherford could blow with the best of them, and now he's up there with Al Mangelsdorff and all the tailgaters who went before them. They know who they are, and so do we.

 

I may be the only one, but initially thought you were referring to Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Paul Rutherford.

 

More sad news. He was an amazing player.

Chris

 

That's what I thought too!

 

Me three!

 

Ditto.

 

You FGtH boys would be wise to get to know this Paul Rutherford.

Pop drivel it ain't.

 

Chaney - Thanks for the great pics!

Cheers,
Chris

 

Definitely Derek Bailey, possibly Evan Parker, maybe Barry Guy, probably John Stevens, and who's on licorice stick?
I don't know why people show up at a funeral and announce that it's not the 'Paul Rutherford' they thought it was going to be. Personally, I would just look around, see I was in the wrong place, and leave quietly.

 

Probably Trevor Watts. See this page:

http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/labels/emanem/eman4020.html

Cheers,
Chris

 

Definitely, and I should have guessed but I don't recall him playing oboe. Where's Wheeler? (not in that photo, evidently). I don't have that record, but I have the 2/18/68 Karyobin session with Dave Holland in place of Guy and without Rutherford or Watts. Good stuff.
Wow. I just did some searching and found that there's a Dedication Orchestra recording I don't have, titled oddly Spirits Rejoice (odd because there's already a Moholo recording with that title, and one of the best he's done). Anyone have that?

 

I didn't realize a thread was a funeral.
If obscure jazz musician Merv Griffin died, it might be appropriate to state in at least one post that it was not the TV talk show host who died, or, in this case, vice versa...

 

Thanks for the great picture! I'd never really pictured all of those 60's/70's British improvisors, but it makes a lot of sense that they were decked out in cardigans, horn-rimmed glasses, and ties; they still made a hell of a noisy, meaty sound.

I had no idea that there was another Paul Rutherford when I started this thread -- I actually like Frankie Goes to Hollywood, but, jeez, how would I know who's in the band? It's not as if they had a long illustrious career. Sorry, kiddoes, the Paul Rutherford with the four decades as a professional musician and the close to 1000 records with him on it gets to be the "default" Paul Rutherford in this case.

 

Hence the detailed bio of the Paul Rutherford in question that accompanied the post that began this thread.

 

With all due respect, the original thread title was perfectly accurate, and the first post clarified which Paul Rutherford had died. If there was a problem, it was that people not familiar with the trombonist Rutherford felt compelled to point out that there was someone with the same name in Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Not just once, but several times. Unnecessary, IMHO, and sort of a thread crap. As I said, had the same thing happened to me I would have left quietly.

 

Hey, Gary, I hope that you see that this wasn't intended to be provocative. How the hell would I have known there was another Paul Rutherford? If, goddess forbid, one of the British improvisors Steve Miller or Tony Levin had passed on, I'd perhaps understand, but come on, now. I really don't care out of egotistical reasons, but I'm a bit taken back and disappointed that my sincere expression of sadness for an important musician's passing has apparently necessitated someone stepping in to keep order.

 

You do realize that that Steve Miller (the British pianist) did pass away back in 1998. His bio is here.

Cheers,
Chris

 

A more descriptive thread would have kept me out of this thread, and I approve the change. For what it's worth, if you search in Wikipedia for Rutherford without the further description of trombone player, the FGTH member is the entry that comes up. As a jazz fan as well as a pop fan, I'm now going to have to track down some of the late Rutherford's stuff, so some good came of my clicking on this thread.

That said, I am now retiring from this thread (at least until the other Paul Rutherford kicks off...).

 

Two obits:

The Guardian

TimesOnline