Steve Lacy
Photo: Lioneldecoster, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Saxophonists · 1934–2004

Steve Lacy

American jazz musician (1934–2004)

Born
23 July 1934
New York City
Died
4 June 2004
Boston
Country
United States
Record labels
Candid Records, ESP-Disk, BYG Records
Discography
113 albums

Biography

Steve Lacy was a jazz musician who played saxophone and soprano saxophone. Steve Lacy was born on 23 July 1934 in New York City and died on 4 June 2004 in Boston. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Candid Records, ESP-Disk and BYG Records. The discography here lists 113 albums, from “Soprano Sax” (1958) to “October Wind Vol. 2” (2015). Honours include MacArthur Fellows Program (1992) and Guggenheim Fellowship.

Steve Lacy (born Steven Norman Lackritz; July 23, 1934 – June 4, 2004) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone. Coming to prominence in the 1950s as a progressive dixieland musician, Lacy went on to a long and prolific career. He worked extensively in experimental jazz and to a lesser extent in free improvisation, but Lacy's music was typically melodic and tightly-structured. Lacy also became a highly distinctive composer, with compositions often built out of little more than a single questioning phrase, repeated several times. The music of Thelonious Monk became a permanent part of Lacy's repertoire after a stint in the pianist's band, with Monk's works appearing on virtually every Lacy album and concert program; Lacy often partnered with trombonist Roswell Rudd in exploring Monk's work.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Soprano Sax 1958 · Prestige Reflections: Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk 1959 · New Jazz The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy 1960 · Candid Evidence 1962 · New Jazz Disposability 1966 · Vik Sortie 1966 · GTA Records
The Forest and the Zoo 1966 · Live · ESP‐Disk’
Epistrophy 1969 · BYG Records Lapis 1971 · Saravah Moon 1971 · BYG Records Wordless 1971 · Live · Futura Records Estilhaços 1972 · Live · Guilda da Música The Gap 1972 · America Records Solo - Théâtre Du Chêne Noir 1974 · Live · Emanem Dreams 1975 · Saravah Lumps 1975 · Instant Composers Pool Saxophone Special + 1975 · Emanem School Days - A 1963 Live Session Released for the First Time 1975 · Live · Emanem Solo at Mandara 1975 · Live · ALM RECORDS Stalks 1975 · Columbia The Crust 1975 · Live · Emanem Clangs 1976 · Live · Ictus Records Distant Voices 1976 · Columbia Stabs - Solo in Berlin 1976 · Live · FMP Trickles 1976 · Black Saint
Axieme Vol. 1 1977 · Live · Red Records
Axieme Vol. 2 1977 · Live · Red Records
One‐Upmanship 1977 · enja Raps 1977 · Adelphi Records Shots 1977 · Musica Records Sidelines 1977 · Improvising Artists Inc. Straws 1977 · Cramps Records Threads 1977 · Horo Records Trio Live 1977 · Live · Ictus Records
Catch 1978
Clinkers 1978 · Live · HatHut Records Points 1978 · Le Chant du Monde Crops & The Woe 1979 · Live · Quark Records & Books
Duet 1979 · Live
Eronel 1979 · Horo Records High, Low And Order 1979 · Live · Claxon Stamps 1979 · Live · HatHut Records Torments - Solo In Kyoto - 1979 · Live · Morgue Call Notes 1980 · World Artists Capers 1981 · Live · HatHut Records Songs 1981 · hat ART Tips 1981 · HatHut Records Ballets 1982 · HatHut Records Snake-out 1982 · Live · HatHut Records The Flame 1982 · Soul Note Herbe de l'oubli 1983 · Live · HatHut Records エターナル・デュオ 1983 · Paddle Wheel
The Wasp - Duo Live 1984 · Live
(Solo) 1986 · Live · Egg Farm Chirps 1986 · Live · FMP
Outings 1986 · Ismez
Explorations 1987
Live at Sweet Basil 1987 · Live
Momentum 1987 · Novus Only Monk 1987 · IREC Milano The Kiss 1987 · Lunatic Records Live In Budapest 1988 · Live · West Wind Image 1989 · Live · ah um Morning Joy 1989 · Live · hat ART The Door 1989 · Novus Anthem 1990 · Novus Flim Flam 1991 · hat ART Hot House 1991 · Novus More Monk 1991 · Soul Note Rushes - 10 Songs From Russia 1991 · Nueva
Trochus 1991
Remains 1992 · hat ART Spirit of Mingus 1992 · Free Lance
トワイライト 1992
Let's Call This.... Esteem 1993 · Live · Slam Productions Findings 1994 · CMAP
Sweet Sixteen 1994
Actuality 1995 · Live · Cavity Search Packet 1995 · New Albion Records
The Rendezvous 1995
Weal & Woe 1995 · Emanem Blues for Aida 1996 · Live · Egg Farm Eternal Duo '95 1996 · Live · Take One Record Five Facings 1996 · Live · FMP I Remember Thelonious 1996 · Ermitage 5 X Monk, 5 X Lacy 1997 · Silkheart Records Communiqué 1997 · Soul Note Sands 1998 · Tzadik Solo: Live at Unity Temple 1998 · Live · Wobbly Rail Outcome 1999 · Live · Potlatch The Joan Mirò Foundation Concert 1999 · Live · Nova Era Hooky 2000 · Live · Emanem Monk's Dream 2000 · Verve Snips: Live at Environ 2000 · Live · Jazz Magnet Best Wishes: Live at the Labirinti Sonori Festival 2001 2001 · Live · Labirinti Sonori Records Dummy 2002 · Splasc(H) Records Work 2002 · Sketch The Beat Suite 2003 · Universal Music Jazz France Lift the Bandstand 2004 · EforFilms One More Time 2005 · Live · Leo Records At the Bimhuis 1982 2006 · Live · Daybreak New Jazz Meeting Baden-Baden 2002 2006 · hatOLOGY Tao 2006 · Ictus Records Early and Late 2007 · Cuneiform Records Live in Berlin 2007 · Live · jazzwerkstatt Hocus Pocus - Book 'H' of "Practitioners" 2008 · Les Disques du Crépuscule November 2010 · Live · Intakt Records In Berlin 2011 · FMP Lost in June 2012 · Live · Ictus Records
The Rest 2013 · Live · Roaratorio
アピス~レイシー・富樫・佐藤・ライブ・アット・エッグファーム 2000 2013 · Live · Studio Songs October Wind Vol. 1 2015 · Live · Ictus Records October Wind Vol. 2 2015 · Live · Ictus Records

Also plays on

Albums where Steve Lacy is credited as a sideman

1957 Gil Evans & Ten — Gil Evans saxophone
1959 Great Jazz Standards — Gil Evans saxophone
1963 Quiet Nights — Miles Davis soprano saxophone
1964 Big Band and Quartet in Concert — Thelonious Monk soprano saxophone
1964 The Individualism of Gil Evans — Gil Evans reeds, woodwind
1965 Guitar Forms — Kenny Burrell soprano saxophone
1966 Jazz Realities — Carla Bley, Mike Mantler, Steve Lacy soprano saxophone
1971 Jumpin’ Punkins — Cecil Taylor soprano saxophone
1972 New York City R&B — Cecil Taylor / Buell Neidlinger soprano saxophone
1972 Mal Waldron with The Steve Lacy Quintet — Mal Waldron with The Steve Lacy Quintet soprano saxophone, alto saxophone
1973 Flaps — Franz Koglmann With Steve Lacy soprano saxophone
1974 Hard Talk — Mal Waldron soprano saxophone
1978 Moods — Mal Waldron soprano saxophone
1980 Mal Waldron - Manfred Schoof — Mal Waldron - Manfred Schoof saxophone
1983 Regeneration — Roswell Rudd - Steve Lacy - Misha Mengelberg - Kent Carter - Han Bennink soprano saxophone
1985 Change of Season (Music of Herbie Nichols) — Misha Mengelberg, Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Arjen Gorter & Han Bennink soprano saxophone
1986 Music Makers — Helen Merrill, Gordon Beck, Stéphane Grappelli & Steve Lacy soprano saxophone
1987 Sempre amore — Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy soprano saxophone
1988 Paris Blues — Gil Evans / Steve Lacy soprano saxophone
1988 Cell Walk for Celeste — Cecil Taylor soprano saxophone
1990 Moods — Mal Waldron soprano saxophone
1992 Dutch Masters — Misha Mengelberg, Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Ernst Reÿseger, Han Bennink soprano saxophone
2001 75th Birthday Concert Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London 1987 — Gil Evans soprano saxophone
2002 One More Time — Mal Waldron, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Steve Lacy soprano saxophone
2006 In Philadelphia 1960 — Thelonious Monk with Steve Lacy soprano saxophone
2007 Radio Days — George Gruntz soprano saxophone

Analysed solos by Steve Lacy

  • Alone Togethersoprano saxophone · 135 BPM · D-maj · 1957-11-01
  • Easy to Lovesoprano saxophone · 166 BPM · G-maj · 1957-11-01
  • Worksoprano saxophone · 166 BPM · · 1957-11-01
  • Ask Me Nowsoprano saxophone · 85 BPM · Db-maj · 1958-10-17
  • Skippysoprano saxophone · 267 BPM · Ab-maj · 1958-10-17
  • Let's Cool Onesoprano saxophone · 132 BPM · Eb-maj · 1961-11-14

Awards

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Steve Lacy play?

Steve Lacy is known for playing saxophone and soprano saxophone.

When and where was Steve Lacy born?

Steve Lacy was born 23 July 1934 in New York City.

What are Steve Lacy's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Soprano Sax (1958), Reflections: Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk (1959), The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy (1960), Evidence (1962) and Disposability (1966).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.