Spring Heel Jack

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For other persons named John Coxon, see John Coxon (disambiguation).
Spring Heel Jack
Genre(s) Drum and bass
Free jazz
Improv
Years active 1994-present
Label(s) Treader
Members
Ashley Wales
John Coxon
This article is about the English electronic music group. For the American third-wave ska band, see Spring Heeled Jack U.S.A.. For other uses, see Spring Heeled Jack (disambiguation).

Spring Heel Jack is an English electronic music group consisting of John Coxon and Ashley Wales.

Wales was formerly a composer of "serious" music, Coxon a successful remixer and producer (most notably for Betty Boo) prior to their joining forces. Their first three drum and bass albums released during the 1990s earned positive reviews for their innovative take on the genre. They were also co-writers and producers of the 1996 track "Walking Wounded" with Everything But The Girl.

More recently they have moved away from drum and bass to collaborate with free improvisers and free jazz players from the United States and Europe, producing three albums for the Thirsty Ear label's Blue Series of cross-genre efforts. Collaborators have included saxophonists Evan Parker and Tim Berne, bass clarinet player John Surman, bassist William Parker, trumpeters Roy Campbell and Wadada Leo Smith, trombonist Paul Rutherford, drummer Han Bennink, pianist Matthew Shipp, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and guitarist Jason Pierce.

In 2006 Coxon and Wales began to operate a record label, Treader, releasing CDs by themselves and other associated artists, including some of their recent collaborators.

[edit] Selected discography

  • There Are Strings (1995)
  • 68 Million Shades... (1996)
  • Versions (1996)
  • Busy, Curious, Thirsty (1997)
  • Treader (2000)
  • Disappeared (2000)
  • Masses (2001)
  • Amassed (2002)
  • Live (2003)
  • The Sweetness of the Water (2004)
  • Songs and Themes (2008)

[edit] External links