Gary Windo (7 November 1941, in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, England – 25 July 1992, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

) was an English

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

tenor saxophonist The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

Career

Windo came from a musical family in England. By age six he took up drums and accordion, then guitar at twelve and saxophone at seventeen. He lived in the United States during the 1960s but returned to England in 1969. In the early 1970s, his career grew as he founded the Gary Windo Quartet and worked with

Carla Bley Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) was an American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she gained acclaim for her jazz opera ''Escalator ...

, Brotherhood of Breath,

Centipede Centipedes (from Neo-Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, ...

Matching Mole Matching Mole were an English progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury scene. Robert Wyatt formed the band in October 1971 after he left Soft Machine and recorded his first solo album, '' The End of an Ear'' (4 December 1970). He ...

, The Running Man, and

Nick Mason Nicholas Berkeley Mason (born 27 January 1944) is an English drummer and a founder member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member since the band's formation in 1965, and the only member to appear on every ...

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

heard Windo play at the

Berlin Jazz Festival JazzFest Berlin (also known as the Berlin Jazz Festival) is a jazz festival in Berlin, Germany. Originally called the "Berliner Jazztage" (''Berlin Jazz Days''), it was founded in 1964 in West Berlin by the Berliner Festspiele. Venues included B ...

and asked him to join the band, which he declined. He worked outside jazz, with

the Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler (singer), Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from ...

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is an English retired musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...

NRBQ NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed circa 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re ...

, and for the comedy television show ''

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''. He taught music lessons with his friend Eric Peralli. Windo could play many reed instruments, including

soprano sax The soprano saxophone is a small, high-pitched member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented in the 1840s by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax. Built in B♭ an octave above the tenor saxophone (or rarely, slightly smaller ...

and

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common Soprano clarinet, soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays no ...

. His time in America exposed him to all types of jazz, and he was at home in any idiom. He used harmonics often and could split a note into its components using his prodigious technique and a metal mouthpiece with a wide lay and a hard reed. He died from a drug overdose in 1992. He is survived by his wife Siobhan Hunter.

Discography

As leader

* ''Dogface'' (Europa, 1982) * ''Deep Water'' (Antilles, 1988) * ''His Master's Bones'' (Cuneiform, 1996) * ''Anglo American'' (Cuneiform, 2004) * ''Avant Gardeners'' (Reel, 2007) * ''Steam Radio Tapes'' (Gonzo, 2013)

As sideman

With

Hugh Hopper Hugh Colin Hopper (29 April 1945 – 7 June 2009) was a British progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and other bands. Biography Early career Starting i ...

* ''1984'' (CBS, 1973) * '' Hopper Tunity Box'' (Compendium, 1977) * ''A Remark Hugh Made'' (Shimmy Disc, 1994) With

Chris McGregor Christopher McGregor (24 December 1936 – 26 May 1990) was a South African jazz pianist, bandleader and composer born in Somerset West, South Africa. Early influences McGregor grew up in the then Transkei (now part of the Eastern Cape Prov ...

* ''Brotherhood'' (RCA Victor, 1972) * ''

Live at Willisau ''Live at Willisau'' is a live album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band Brotherhood of Breath. It was recorded on January 27, 1973, in Willisau, Switzerland, and was released on LP by Ogun Records in 1974. In 1994, the ...

'' (Ogun, 1974) * '' Travelling Somewhere'' (Cuneiform, 2001) * '' Bremen to Bridgwater'' (Cuneiform, 2004) * '' Eclipse at Dawn'' (Cuneiform, 2008) With

* ''Grooves in Orbit'' (Bearsville, 1983) * ''Lou and the Q'' (Rounder, 1985) * ''Honest Dollar'' (Rykodisc, 1992) * ''Message for the Mess Age'' (Forward, 1994) With

* '' Rock Bottom'' (Virgin, 1974) * ''

Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard ''Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard'' is the third solo album by Robert Wyatt. Background The follow-up to ''Rock Bottom (album), Rock Bottom'', for which Wyatt had written all of the music and lyrics, ''Ruth...'' consisted of Wyatt's adaptations a ...

'' (Virgin, 1975) * ''Theatre Royal Drury Lane 8th September 1974'' (Hannibal, 1981) * ''Flotsam Jetsam'' (Rough Trade, 1994) * ''His Greatest Misses'' (Domino, 2004) * ''Different Every Time'' (Domino, 2014) With others * Alan Shorter, '' Tes Estat'' (

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, 1970) *

Daevid Allen Christopher David "Daevid" Allen (13 January 1938 – 13 March 2015) was an Australian musician. He was co-founder of the psychedelic rock groups Soft Machine (in the UK, 1966) and Gong (band), Gong (in France, 1967).McFarlane, 1999, Biograp ...

, ''Jungle Windo(w)'' (Charly, 1982) * Daevid Allen, ''Opium for the People/Alien in New York'' (Spalax Music, 1996) *

, '' European Tour 1977'' (WATT/ECM, 1978) * Carla Bley, '' Musique Mecanique'' (WATT, 1979) *

Jean-Patrick Capdevielle Jean-Patrick Capdevielle (born December 19, 1945) is a French songwriter, composer, singer, musician and painter who influenced the French rock scene in the 1980s. With a mixture of American and British influences, Capdevielle's work is charact ...

, ''L'Ennemi Public'' (CBS, 1982) *

, '' Septober Energy'' (RCA/Neon, 1971) *

The Cover Girls The Cover Girls are a New York City based American freestyle music girl group whose original line-up consisted of Angel Clivillés, Louise "Angel Clivilles" Sabater, Caroline Jackson, and Sunshine Wright. Formed in 1986, The Cover Girls peaked ...

, '' Show Me'' (Fever, 1987) * Ian Hunter, ''

Short Back 'n' Sides ''Short Back 'n' Sides'' is the fifth studio album by Ian Hunter. He collaborated with Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Todd Rundgren, and Ellen Foley. In 1995, Chrysalis released a 2 CD set with a remastered version of the album and bonus CD ...

'' (Chrysalis, 1981) *

Michael Mantler Michael Mantler (born August 10, 1943) is an Austrian avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer of contemporary music. Career: United States Mantler was born in Vienna, Austria. In the early 1960s, he was a student at the Academy of Music and V ...

, ''More Movies'' (WATT/ECM 1980) *

, '' Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports'' (Harvest, 1981) * Tommy Morrison, ''Place Your Bets'' (Real 1979) *

The Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler (singer), Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from ...

, '' Forever Now'' (CBS, 1982) * The Pursuit of Happiness, '' One Sided Story'' (Chrysalis, 1990) *

Ray Russell Ray Russell (September 4, 1924 – March 15, 1999) was an American editor and writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays. Russell is best known for his horror fiction, although he also wrote mystery and science fiction stories. His most ...

, ''Secret Asylum'' (Black Lion, 1973) *

Alexander von Schlippenbach Alexander von Schlippenbach (born 7 April 1938) is a German jazz pianist and composer. He came to prominence in the 1960s playing free jazz in a trio with saxophonist Evan Parker and drummer Paul Lovens, and as a member of the Globe Unity Orch ...

& Carla Bley, ''50 Jahre Jazz Fest Berlin'' (Berliner Festspiele 2014)

References

External links

NPR

All About Jazz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Windo, Gary 1941 births 1992 deaths English jazz tenor saxophonists British male saxophonists Musicians from Brighton Matching Mole members Centipede (band) members 20th-century British saxophonists 20th-century British male musicians British male jazz musicians