Rick Countryman (born January 31, 1957)[1] is a Free Improvisation jazz saxophonist.

Rick Countryman
Background information
Birth nameRick Countryman
Born (1957-01-31) January 31, 1957 (age 67)
Massachusetts, U.S.
GenresFree Improvisation
Instrument(s)Alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, alto flute, bass flute
Labels
  • Improvising Beings
  • Chap Chap Records
  • FMR Records
  • Sol Disk Records

Career

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Years after as a baritone saxophone player, including an extended sabbatical, Rick Countryman made a late-life change to alto saxophone. His first recorded work with Christian Bucher, an avant-garde drummer from Switzerland, drew attention from a French music label, Improvising Beings,[2] that subsequently released their album, Acceptance – Resistance in November, 2016.[3] It received favorable reviews, both in the United States and Europe.[4][5][6]

He has since been leading groups on alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, alto flute and bass flute; performing original compositions and Free Jazz/Free Improvisation with various trios and quartets.[7]

Rick Countryman was a student of American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist Bert Wilson; and considers American jazz double bassist Michael Bisio and tenor saxophonist Rick Mandyck as early mentors. Based in the Philippines, Countryman features in Manila's jazz festivals[8][9] and performance venues. In early 2019, he performed and conducted workshops with Dr. Royal Hartigan at the MAKILINC6 Arts Festival;[10] and later that year at the Yilan International Art Festival in Taiwan as "acomo trio".[11]

Countryman has over a dozen album releases distributed on five labels across Europe, Asia, and the United States, including multiple CDs with Japanese improvisational drummer, Sabu Toyozumi,[12][13] who had made several trips to Manila to perform and record.[14][15] Rick Countryman's prodigious recordings are found across specialty record labels which include Improvising Beings (France), Chap Chap Records (Japan),[16][17]FMR Records (UK)[18][19][20] and Sol Disk Records (US).[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Rick Countryman". discogs.com.
  2. ^ "Acceptance - Resistance". improvising-beings.bandcamp.com.
  3. ^ "CHRONIQUE". citizenjazz.com.
  4. ^ Edwards, Grego Applegate (January 17, 2017). "Gapplegate Music Review: Tan Bucher & Countryman, Acceptance.Resistance". gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.com.
  5. ^ Aaron, S. Victor (April 8, 2017). "Bucher Tan Countryman – Acceptance – Resistance (2017)". somethingelsereviews.com.
  6. ^ Barriaux, Franpi (March 26, 2017). "Countryman / Tan / Bucher". citizenjazz.com (in French).
  7. ^ "Serious Play Improv Lab (SPIL 068)". klexfestival.com.
  8. ^ CCP's Winds and Jazz Festival opens July 26 | marketmonitor.com.ph
  9. ^ 'Winds and Jazz' festival at CCP | pressreader.com – via PressReader
  10. ^ "PHSA celebrates National Arts Month via MAKILINC 6". gmanetwork.com.
  11. ^ "America akomo trio". yiaf.e-land.gov.tw.
  12. ^ Waxman, Ken (August 12, 2020). "Voices of the Spirit". www.jazzword.com.
  13. ^ "SABU TOYOZUMI and FMR Records Release REABSTRACTION" (PDF). fmr-records.com.
  14. ^ "Sabu Toyozumi / Rick Countryman". jazztokyo.org.
  15. ^ "Sabu Toyozumi / Rick Countryman". www.jazzword.com.
  16. ^ "River People (Bucher / Countryman / Alegre / Hori)". www.squidco.com.
  17. ^ "river-people-sol-expression". chapchaprecords.bandcamp.com.
  18. ^ "Artists A – Z". fmr-records.com.
  19. ^ "Turtle Bird" (PDF). fmr-records.com.
  20. ^ "Blue Spontaneity" (PDF). fmr-records.com.
  21. ^ "Sol Disk Label Releases". www.discogs.com/label/142310-Sol-Disk.