Tony Oxley, a British drummer and percussionist, had a significant opportunity in his career when he joined a trio led by the renowned American jazz pianist Bill Evans for a successful European tour. After the tour, he was invited to continue with the group when they returned to the US. This occurred in 1972, and becoming a permanent member of the trio would have elevated his status in the jazz community. However, he respectfully declined, feeling that accepting the offer would steer him away from his goal of creating and evolving musical styles as a musician and composer.
The evidence of his resolve could be seen that same year in the cover picture of Ichnos, an album of Oxley’s music. It showed a drum kit that appeared to have been assembled in a junkyard, with the regular drums and cymbals accessorised by an upturned cooking pot, a washboard, a film reel, and various other steel and aluminium objects. Later a pair of bongos would replace the snare drum, and a new dimension was added by a giant custom-made cowbell.
Oxley, who passed away at 85, was a skilled musician in traditional and modern jazz, having honed his abilities during his time as the resident drummer at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London during the late 1960s. He accompanied notable American artists, including Sonny Rollins and Blossom Dearie. While he was proficient in following the style of renowned American musicians like Art Blakey, Oxley believed in finding one’s own unique sound rather than simply imitating others. As he once said, “It’s easy to see that there’s only one Art Blakey. If you can’t find your own style, then it will be a difficult journey.”
Oxley, hailing from South Yorkshire, was fiercely determined and unapologetically dismissive of criticism as he carved his own path. This led him towards a unique style of improvised music that defied categorization, often incorporating various electronic elements into his live performances. With a calm and precise technique, he expertly utilized the response and resonance of each surface he struck, creating a captivating tapestry of sound effects. Whether performing solo or collaborating with like-minded musicians such as pioneering avant-garde jazz pianist Cecil Taylor and saxophonist Anthony Braxton, Oxley’s drumming was always a highlight.
Born into a working-class Sheffield family, Oxley played the piano for a while during childhood but took up the drums as a teenager. While playing in dance bands at night, he was sacked from his regular work in a cutlery-making firm for sleeping on the job.
He was drafted into the Black Watch, the 3rd battalion of the Scottish Regiment, for national service. During this time, his musical skills such as instrumental technique, sight-reading, and overall musicianship were honed while playing in military bands and the regimental orchestra. He was able to play a variety of percussion instruments, including tympani, glockenspiel, and triangle, as part of the classical repertoire. While most recruits saw national service as a burden, Oxley viewed it as an opportunity to study music for three years without the pressure of making a living from it.
Following his departure from the military, he took multiple trips to New York as a member of a dance band that performed for passengers on the Queen Mary. During his shore leave, he took the opportunity to visit clubs and listen to prominent figures in the modern jazz scene. Alongside this, he was also a part of a cabaret band in Chesterfield, but in 1963, he began playing Saturday afternoon gigs at a Sheffield pub called the Grapes with a group of other up-and-coming jazz musicians.
A new group was formed, playfully called the Joseph Holbrooke Trio, named after a little-known English composer. The trio included Oxley, who played guitar, Derek Bailey, who lived near Oxley in Sheffield, and Gavin Bryars, a philosophy student at Sheffield University who played bass. Bailey shared with his biographer, Ben Watson, that they all shared a dislike for things that were overly predictable.
In their developmental stage, they sought influence from the music of Webern, Stockhausen, Morton Feldman, and John Cage rather than just jazz. Oxley experimented with a complicated dividing of the traditional 4/4 beat, layering eighth note triplets over quarter note triplets to form a measure of 18 beats. He shared his idea in Crescendo, a magazine for dance bands, but it was met with confusion.
After the group disbanded in 1966, following a brief tour with American saxophonist Lee Konitz, Bailey and Oxley each went to London on their own. Oxley then joined pianist Gordon Beck’s trio and soon received an offer from Ronnie Scott to become the resident drummer at his club. He also joined Scott’s bands, including an innovative octet that showcased talented young musicians.
In 1969, John McLaughlin, a young guitarist, garnered acclaim for his album Extrapolation. He formed a quartet, consisting of Oxley, John Surman on saxophone, and Brian Odgers on bass, to perform rock-influenced music. While also playing in this quartet, Oxley regularly visited the Little Theatre Club in Covent Garden. Here, he witnessed intense musical experimentation in front of small yet devoted audiences.
Oxley released two albums for the CBS label in 1970 and 1971. The first, titled “The Baptised Traveller,” featured regulars from the Little Theatre Club, including Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, Evan Parker on saxophone, Jeff Clyne on bass, and Oxley himself. The album was conceived as a four-part suite, with three of Oxley’s compositions and one by saxophonist Charlie Mariano, whom Oxley had previously played with at Scott’s. It is considered a classic of British jazz from that time period, showcasing a blend of unconventional instrumental techniques and moments of elegant contemplation.
Oxley was a part of Alan Skidmore’s exceptional quintet, and in 1969, the group received recognition at the Montreux jazz festival for their performances, with awards for best group, best soloist, and best drummer. Oxley was also consistently voted as the best British jazz drummer by readers of Melody Maker from 1969 to 1972. He also started incorporating amplification into his drum kit when playing with pianist Howard Riley’s trio.
In 1970, Oxley, Bailey, and Parker started their own independent record label called Incus after realizing that major record companies were no longer interested in recording their music. Incus released over 50 albums and continued to operate even after Oxley and Parker left due to disagreements.
During the 1970s, Oxley frequently served as a tutor for the well-attended jazz course at the Barry summer school in south Wales. Additionally, in 1976, he held a residency at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia where he taught improvisation. However, Oxley’s focus was gradually shifting to continental Europe, specifically Germany, where he resided. In 1988, he participated in a series of recording sessions in Berlin organized by producer Jost Gebers, featuring collaborations between Taylor and European musicians.
Taylor and he had a successful musical partnership for two decades, which involved performing together in the US and Europe. They were occasionally joined by bassist William Parker, forming a group called the Feel Trio. One notable album from their collaboration was a live recording at the Village Vanguard in New York in 2008.
Oxley continued to perform and make recordings in a variety of different settings. These included the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, his own multinational Celebration Orchestra, a trio called SOH with Skidmore and the German bassist Ali Haurand, various groups featuring pianists Paul Bley, Alexander von Schlippenbach, and Stefano Battaglia, as well as trumpeters Bill Dixon, Enrico Rava, and Tomasz Stanko. He also formed a duo with Scottish painter and musician Alan Davie, who gifted him a violin that he added to his collection of percussion instruments. In 1998, the Joseph Holbrooke Trio reunited for a radio broadcast in Cologne, which was later released on Incus. They also did a studio recording together in London.
In 2023, the Discus label released The New World, an album featuring electronic and acoustic percussion music. The cover of the album showcased abstract paintings by the artist.
He is survived by his spouse, Tutta (formerly Rütten), to whom he was wed in 2000.
Source: theguardian.com
