Artists | Joe McPhee (US)

Joe McPhee (born 1939 in Miami, USA) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist, a player of tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, the trumpet, flugelhorn and valve trombone.
He began playing trumpet at age eight before learning other instruments. He played in various high school and then military bands before starting his recording career. His first recording came in 1967, when he appeared on the Clifford Thornton album Freedom and Unity. He taught himself saxophone at age 32 after experiencing the music of John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and Ornette Coleman. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, McPhee lectured on jazz music at Vassar College.
In 1975, Werner Uehlinger started the Swiss label hat Hut Records with the specific intent of showcasing McPhee’s music.
In the 1980s, McPhee met Pauline Oliveros, began studying her musical theories, and worked with her Deep Listening Band.
He made more than 100 records and performed with musicians include Ken Vandermark, Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, Mats Gustafsson, Jeb Bishop, Paal Nilssen-Love, Clifton Hyde, Jérôme Bourdellon, Raymond Boni, Joe Giardullo, Tresspass Trio, The Thing, Universal Indians.
Since 1998, McPhee, Dominic Duval and Jay Rosen have performed and recorded as Trio X. In 2004 he created Survival Unit III with Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang.
McPhee has also written reviews and commentary for cadencejazzmagazine.com.
In 2005, McPhee was awarded the Resounding Vision Award by namelesssound.org.