Robert Calvert, also credited as Rob Calvert, is an English saxophonist, best known for his work with Catapilla,

Spontaneous Music Ensemble The Spontaneous Music Ensemble (SME) was a loose collection of free improvising musicians, convened in 1965 by the late South London-based jazz drummer/trumpeter John Stevens and alto and soprano saxophonist Trevor Watts. SME performances and ...

and numerous offshoots of

Gong A gongFrom Indonesian language, Indonesian and ; ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ; ; ; ; is a percussion instrument originating from Southeast Asia, and used widely in Southeast Asian and East Asian musical traditions. Gongs are made of metal and ...

, including

Gilli Smyth Gillian Mary Smyth (1 June 1933 – 22 August 2016) was an English musician best known for co-founding the psychedelic rock group Gong with her partner Daevid Allen in 1967. She also released music with spinoff groups Mother Gong and Plane ...

and

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 ...

. Calvert rejects categorization of his music, into jazz or other genres, concentrating on the spirit and meaning.

Musical career

A founding member of

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

band Catapilla which was formed in the late 1960s, Calvert was one of one two constant members during the band's brief history, the other being guitarist Graham Wilson. He appears on both their albums, 1971's eponymous '' Catapilla'' and 1972's ''

Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...

''. In the 1970s Calvert studied improvised music with John Stevens, and

Maggie Nicols Maggie Nicols (or Nichols, as she originally spelled her name as a performer) (born 24 February 1948), is a Scottish free-jazz and improvising vocalist, dancer, and performer. Early life and career Nicols was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, as M ...

and in 1975, he began appearing on John Stevens' albums, initially on

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

band

's album ''SME + = SMO''. Calvert's next two albums were ''Somewhere in Between'' (1976) and ''Mazin Ennit'' (1977) both by Steven's

jazz-rock Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music Music genre, genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, a ...

band John Stevens' Away, followed Steven's album ''Ah!'' (1977). In 1994 he appeared on John Stevens Dance Orchestra's ''A Luta Continua'', but this had been recorded in 1977. After a break, he returned in 1989 on two Mother Gong albums '' The Owl and the Tree'' and ''Wild Child'', before appearing on Invisible Opera Company of Tibet's 1991 eponymous album. Remaining in the

circle he appeared on

's 1993 album ''Every Witches Way'', Mother Gong's ''She Made the World'' (1993), ''Eye'' (1994) ''Mother Gong'' (1994) and ''Tree in Fish'' (1994) He toured extensively with Gong and Mothergong throughout the 1990s Since 1994 Calvert has played and improvised with the Howley Calvert George Trio, together with John Howley (better known as a painter) on piano and vocals, and Robert George on drums. The trio have performed widely, including tours of Poland in 1998 and 1999. Calvert also began performing with

, including Allen and Harry Williamson's album ''Twenty Two Meanings (The Art Of Glissando Guitar Vol. 1)'' (1999).

Discography

;With Catapilla *'' Catapilla'' (1971) Vertigo *''

'' (1972) Vertigo ;With John Stevens *''SME + = SMO'' (1975) A Records *''Somewhere in Between'' (1976) Vertigo *''Mazin Ennit'' (1977) Vertigo *''Ah!'' (1990) Konnex Records *''A Luta Continua'' (1994) Konnex Records ;With Mothergong *'' The Owl and the Tree'' (1989) Demi Monde *''Eye'' (1994) Voiceprint *''Every Witches Way'' (1993) Voiceprint *''She Made the World'' (1993) Voiceprint *''Mother Gong'' (1994) Voiceprint *''Wild Child'' (1997) Spalax Music *''Tree in Fish'' (2004) Voiceprint ; With Invisible Opera Company of Tibet *''Gorilla'' (1991) Voiceprint ; With Glo *''Even as We'' (1995) GAS Records ;Poetry *''Recoding'' Unamunos Quorum (1999) F..loose Productions ;With Daevid Allen *''Twenty Two Meanings'' (1999) Gliss (with Harry Williamson) *''Gentle Genie'' (2004) Voiceprint ;Compilations *''Passed Normal'' (1992) FOT Records (one track "Spiral Dance") *''The Best of Mother Gong'' (1997) Outer Music *''Australia Aquaria:She'' (2001) NMC Music *''Histories and Mysteries of Planet Gong'' (2004) Voiceprint

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvert, Robert Living people English rock saxophonists English jazz saxophonists English male saxophonists 21st-century English saxophonists 21st-century English male musicians English male jazz musicians Year of birth missing (living people)