Victor Schonfield RIP

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    Victor Schonfield RIP

    The promoter who helped change the landscape of experimental music in the UK in the 1960s and 70s has died aged 81. Read Phil England’s article on Schonfield and his Music Now organisation, which promoted landmark shows by Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, Taj Mahal Travellers, AMM, MEV and many others, free in our online archive for one month


    I was just alerted to Victor's passing by a message on Ilan Volkov's FB page. Such a legend on both the experimental music and jazz scenes. Victor had the dubious honour of being ripped off by Sun Ra when he organised a major gig for the latter who walked off with both the takings and Victor's cover for the same. Such a fine, decent man.

    #2
    Yes, he was quite a character by all accounts (I met him only once), as well as being crucial in promoting the cutting edge of jazz and improvised music in the UK.

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      #3
      Originally posted by RichardB View Post
      Yes, he was quite a character by all accounts (I met him only once), as well as being crucial in promoting the cutting edge of jazz and improvised music in the UK.
      I will relate one of Victor's reports on attending an infamous RFH performance by Frank Zappa and the Mothers, along with members of the BBCSO in 1968. This is the concert which features in the albums "Ahead of their time", "Playground Psychotics", etc. Victor went to the concert with Cornelius Cardew. The former was rather impressed and commented on how much was going on, to which Cardew responded, "Yes, but none of it is any good". I will leave it to others, on the basis of the recordings from that event, to decide whether Cardew hit the nail on the head, or perhaps caught his thumb.

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