Rutherford, Paul William

▪ 2008

      British trombonist

born Feb. 29, 1940, London, Eng.

died Aug. 6, 2007, London

growled, blasted, slashed, and played outlandish sounds on his horn, as he soloed without regard to rhythm, harmony, or conventional structure. After gaining experience in both traditional and modern jazz, he joined John Stevens's Spontaneous Music Ensemble, with which he helped pioneer the free-improvisation idiom in the late 1960s. Rutherford worked mostly as an unaccompanied soloist, as in his landmark album The Gentle Harm of the Bourgeoisie (1974), and in small groups with other uninhibited improvisers and with his own trio, Iskra 1903. From the 1970s through the '90s, he performed often with other British and European improvisers, played on more than 90 albums, and was featured in big bands, including the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra, the Globe Unity Orchestra, and several led by bandleader Mike Westbrook.

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