John Surman announces final live shows ahead of 80th birthday
Mike Flynn
Saturday, August 3, 2024
The revered British multi-reedist and composer is not retiring but will no longer tour
Celebrated saxophonist and composer John Surman has announced exclusively to Jazzwise that he will play his final few live dates this autumn. However, he wants it to be known that he is not retiring and still wants to record, broadcast and create music.
The main reason for this decision is simply down to the testing conditions of travelling with numerous instruments. Surman, who celebrates his 80th birthday on 30 August, intends the Words Unspoken band to be his last touring project and they will play their final dates at Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin (8 September), and two nights at the Rolf-Liebermann-Studio, Hamburg, Germany (10-11 October).
As he explains to Stuart Nicholson in this month’s exclusive cover feature: “I have spent 60 years carrying around a lot of equipment and a lot of instruments and it’s hard work,” he says. “It’s harder than it was – queuing up at airports, queuing for this and queuing for that and carrying instruments on and off planes and all that – I mean it’s not as easy as it was, even 10 years ago.”
In a further statement, his manager Martel Ollerenshaw (Arts & Parts) said:
“This milestone year has seen him touring across Europe with his latest ECM recording Words Unspoken, made and performed live with an acclaimed intergenerational band, Rob Luft (guitar), Rob Waring (vibraphone) and Thomas Strønen (drums).
After over 60 years of sharing his music live with fans across the world — where he has played in concert halls and clubs, at indoor and outdoor festivals, in churches, cathedrals and in front of, and with, audiences of all ages and abilities — John has decided to stop touring, so his last international performances will be in Berlin and Hamburg this year.
This does not mean that John is retiring from music. He will continue to compose, record and broadcast and leaves open the option of future performances in Oslo — where he lives.
John thanks everyone — those on stage and off — who have made his life on the road so memorable, and we thank Music Norway for supporting this final tour.
Arts & Parts will continue to be the contact for John and we’d love to see and hear a commissioned work in the near future…please be in touch with us here if you’ve got some ideas about where this might be and what form it might take.
And finally for now, do yourself a favour and purchase the sublime ECM recording…or listen for free and listen often, here.”
Upcoming events and performances:
30 August 2024 | HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂 JOHN SURMAN | leave your message here. 8 September 2024 | John Surman’s Words Unspoken | Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin (DE), 10 – 11 October 2024 | John Surman’s Words Unspoken | Rolf-Liebermann-Studio (NDR), Hamburg (DE)
