Search - Mike Osborne :: Force of Nature

Mike Osborne (1941-2007) was an alto saxophonist without a peer among his fellow British country men, a musician of profound personality with a gift for jazz composition. Mike was first heard in the '60s as a soloist of incendiary character in the Mike Westbrook Concert Band, and his never less than passionate sound was ubiquitous throughout the heyday of British jazz in the 1970s. He recorded and performed extensively with the leading composers of the era; Chris McGregor, Michael Gibbs, and Barry Guy. With John Surman and Alan Skidmore, "Ozzie," as he was affectionately known by friends, formed the celebrated saxophone trio SOS, while also leading numerous bands under his own name. It's no secret that Mike Osborne suffered from schizophrenia, and in 1983, circumstances forced his retreat from London, robbing both Mike and his audience of further music-making. In 2007, Reel Recordings approached Mike's guardian with recently uncovered Hi-Fidelity recordings of the Osborne Quartet in the early 1980s, a hitherto undocumented period. Mike was delighted to hear the music back and blessed Force Of Nature with deep admiration for his fellow musicians; trumpeter Dave Holdsworth, bassist Marcio Mattos, and drummer Brian Abrahams. Together they blend the base ingredients of melody, harmony and rhythm toward boiling points beyond belief. To wit, there's also the quartet's non-stop 42-minute performance before an appreciative audience in Cologne, Germany. Included is a live-in-studio set with the muscular rhythm section of Paul Bridge (1940-2001) and Tony Marsh. Together, these recordings provide proof positive that music from Mike Osborne truly is a Force Of Nature.