Trevor Watts

continued

rhythmic complexity, eschewing classical notions of melody and rhythmic regularity, and exploring unorthodox instrumental techniques. The major participants in these musical experiments were John Stevens, Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, and Trevor Watts.

Watts is a self-taught saxophonist who started out playing modern jazz and blues but quickly gravitated toward the new British sounds, becoming an important member of the Spontaneous Musical Ensemble led by drummer Stevens. But even as he worked in this radical environment, he also developed his own no less radical take on other musical traditions. Watts formed a group named Amalgam that combined diverse influences, including American free jazz, blues, and rock, incorporating dance rhythms and the electric bass guitar. Ever omnivorous in his musical tastes, he listened to contemporary classical as well as to folk and pop. Obviously feeling constrained by the narrow limits of free improvisation, he eventually moved away from his old colleagues.