Jazz clarinetist and saxophonist Tony Coe was born on November 29, 1934, in Canterbury, Kent, England. He first learned to play the clarinet and bass clarinet before teaching himself to play tenor saxophone. When he was 15, he performed with his school’s traditional jazz band and two years later, he became a professional musician when he joined British Dixieland drummer Joe Daniels’ band. When he turned 18 in 1953, he joined the army, where he performed with the Military and Dance bands. After he was discharged, he performed with the Micky Bryan Band in France before returning to England to play with Joe Daniels again. After spending four years with trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton’s orchestra (1957-1961), he began recording and performing as a leader, releasing albums such as Tony's Basement (1967), Sax with Sex (1968), Pop Makes Progress with Robert Farnon (1970), Coe-Existence (1978), Time with Derek Bailey (1979), Mainly Mancini (1985), Canterbury Song (1989), Les Voix d'Itxassou (1990), Les Sources Bleues with Tony Hymas and Chris Laurence (1991) and Captain Coe's Famous Racearound with Bob Brookmeyer (1996). Tony Coe also collaborated with many jazz and pop artists including Count Basie, Georgie Fame, Paul McCartney, John Dankworth, Mike McGear, Michael Gibbs and the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble, Murray Head, John Martyn, Phil Woods, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Norma Winstone, Pierre Boulez, and others. Tony Coe also appeared on soundtracks to films such as Superman II (1980), Victor, Victoria (1982) and Leaving Las Vegas (1995). He also formed several ensembles including Coe Oxley & Co. (with Tony Oxley), The Melody Four (with Steve Beresford and Lol Coxhill), The Lonely Bears (with Tony Hymas, Hugh Burns, and Terry Bozzio), and Matrix (with Alan Hacker). In 1995, Tony Coe was awarded the Prix Jazzpar for Best International Jazz Musician from the Det Danske Jazzcenter. Tony Coe died on March 16, 2023, at the age of 88.
