One of the most innovative and influential pianists to play on the uneasy faultline between free jazz and improv is to appear next week in a rare solo performance at the Lakeside Arts Centre in Nottingham on Thursday 8 October.

Born in Philadelphia Marilyn Crispell grew up in Baltimore and went on to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in the 1970s and at Woodstock’s Creative Music Studio. She discovered jazz through the music of John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor and was a member of the Anthony Braxton Quartet and the Reggie Workman Ensemble for 10 years and has been a member of the Barry Guy New Orchestra and guests with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, as well as with countless other cutting edge improvisers. She has also performed and recorded music by contemporary composers Robert Cogan, Pozzi Escot and John Cage.

Best known for her work with Anthony Braxton with whom she began an association in the 1980s and in the 90s laid down numerous recordings for the Leo label. In the mid-90s with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian she released an album based on the music of avant garde composer/singer Annette Peacock, Nothing Ever Was, Anyway.

More recently she followed trio albums for ECM and solo album Vignettes recorded two years ago featuring may of her own compositions plus Arve Henriksen’s ‘Stilleweg’ and ‘Cuida Tu Espíritu’ by Jayna Nelson.

– Stephen Graham 

To book go to www.lakesidearts.org.uk