John Edwards

John Edwards

John Edwards is a United Kingdom-based double bassist and free improviser working in free jazz and jazz. He becomes active on the London improvised music scene in the late 1980s and develops a long career in solo playing, ensemble work and frequent collaboration with other improvisers.

Early work and London scene

After taking up the bass around 1987, Edwards co-forms The Pointy Birds, a group that wins awards for music written for the Cholmondeleys and Featherstonehaughs dance troupes. The band appears at festivals in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Moers, Leverkusen and Copenhagen. Around 1990 he begins playing with London improvisers including Roger Turner, Lol Coxhill, Maggie Nicols and Phil Minton.

Between 1990 and 1995, Edwards performs in three touring groups at the same time: B-Shops For The Poor, The Honkies and GOD. In the same period he becomes a regular figure in improvised music, gives his first solo performances, works on music theatre with the bass and cello duo The Great Explorers, and busks on the street.

Collaborations and ensembles

From 1995 onwards, Edwards is a mainstay of the London scene and plays with a wide range of musicians. He becomes a regular partner of Evan Parker in several formations, and also works with Tony Bevan, Veryan Weston and Elton Dean, often alongside percussionist Mark Sanders. He appears in numerous Parker-led groups, including the Evan Parker Quartet, Evan Parker Quintet, Evan Parker Octet, Sant’Anna Arresi Quintet by Evan Parker, Strings With Evan Parker, and School of Velocity.

Other listed groups include Last Dream of the Morning, Tutti Orchestra, Shock Exchange, Bruise, Louis Moholo-Moholo Quartet, New Old Luten Quintet, Decoy, Organon, N.E.W., Paul Dunmall Quartet and The Runcible Quintet.

Solo work and recordings

Edwards continues to perform solo and his first solo CD, Volume, is issued on Evan Parker’s PSI label. He also appears frequently at festivals in Europe and beyond, including Taktlos, Ulrichsburg, Nickelsdorf, Budapest and events in New Zealand and the United States.