Andy Sheppard

An intriguing and versatile British saxophonist, Andy Sheppard is recognized for his post-bop and modern creative jazz approach. He first surfaced during the 1980s alongside progressive composer George Russell and on various projects involving pianist Carla Bley. His own recordings, among them the 1988 release Andy Sheppard, 1998’s Learning to Wave, and his ECM debut Movements in Colour from 2009, have seen him delve into straight-ahead and fusion idioms as well as Latin and Middle Eastern traditions. He has frequently appeared in a trio alongside Bley and bassist Steve Swallow, resulting in albums such as 2013’s Trios, 2016’s Andando el Tiempo, and Bley’s concluding effort, Life Goes On, issued in 2020. A joint project with the Espen Eriksen trio, titled As Good as It Gets, surfaced in 2024.

Sheppard came into the world in 1957 in Warminster, Wiltshire, England, and did not begin playing music until age 19 while intending to attend art college; exposure to John Coltrane’s recordings redirected his path. Within three weeks he was performing publicly, though several years of struggle ensued while he mastered his craft and shaped a personal voice. In 1986 Sheppard claimed victory in a jazz competition and secured a contract with the Antilles label, marking his breakthrough. Under that imprint he issued his self-titled 1988 debut Andy Sheppard and the 1989 follow-up Introductions in the Dark. Subsequent work encompassed sessions with Gil Evans in France during 1987, further associations with George Russell, and continued involvement with Carla Bley.

While co-leading a recording and touring ensemble with keyboardist Steve Lodder, Sheppard maintained his connection to Bley. He also put out two albums of his own on Blue Note, with Rhythm Method and Delivery Suite appearing together in 1994. Together with bassist Steve Swallow they captured Songs with Legs, released on Watt/ECM in 1995.

Between 1998 and 2003 the saxophonist delivered four albums for the U.K.’s Provocateur label, among them 2000’s Dancing Man & Woman. His role in Bley’s Lost Chords quartet, completed by Swallow and Billy Drummond, produced the self-titled album in 2004. In 2005 he and pianist Rita Marcotulli recorded On the Edge of a Perfect Moment for Incipit, followed in 2007 by The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu.

During the 2000s Sheppard joined ECM as a solo artist. His initial release for the label was 2009’s Movements in Colour, an electric/acoustic quintet recording featuring two guitarists. Three years afterward came Trio Libero, pairing the saxophonist with double bassist Michel Benita and drummer Sebastian Rochford. He next reunited with Bley and Swallow for 2013’s Trios, then issued his own quartet album Surrounded by Sea in 2015, which included Benita, Rochford, and guitarist Eivind Aarset.

In 2016 he once more collaborated with longtime associates Bley and Swallow on Andando el Tiempo. He returned in 2018 with the quartet album Romaria, also issued by ECM. The following year he received an Honorary Doctor of Music from the University of Bristol. His fourth trio album with Bley and Swallow, Life Goes On, appeared in 2020. In 2024 he released As Good as It Gets, a collaboration with pianist Espen Eriksen and his trio, which features bassist Lars Tormod Jensset and drummer Andreas Bye.