Rock
United States
Curlew
About Curlew
Hometown
New York, NY, United States
Formed
1979
Genre
Rock
Curlew was a vanguard jazz band who helped define downtown New York's "Knitting Factory Sound" from the late 1980s through the mid-'90s. Led by saxophonist George Cartwright, their shows and recordings offered an infectious blend of punk-influenced jazz, mutant harmolodic funk, improvisation, roadhouse blues, and avant rock. Their 1980 self-titled debut featured cellist Tom Cora, guitarist Nicky Skopelitis, and bassist Bill Laswell, but the lineup changed often. 1991's Bee was the first to feature the iconic lineup of Cartwright, Cora, guitarist Davey Williams, drummer Pippin Barnett, and bassist Ann Rupel. This ensemble issued the classic A Beautiful Western Saddle in 1995. After Cora's passing in 1998, the band's lineup continued evolving. As evidenced by 2003's Mercury, however, their musical focus remained adventurous. A series of archival live recordings have appeared from Cuneiform including Live at Phantasmagoria and WFMU and CBGS's NY, 1987.
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