Now Orchestra

Coat Cooke, a saxophonist who serves as co-director, established the NOW Orchestra in 1987. This fifteen-piece improvising ensemble operates from North America's West Coast and draws its members from Washington as well as Vancouver. By the late 1990s the roster featured co-director and guitarist Ron Samworth together with cellist Peggy Lee, drummer Dylan VanDerSchyff, and pianist Paul Plimley. The group has appeared at festivals such as FIMAV and Vancouver's du Maurier International Jazz Festival while collaborating with major improvisers including Wadada Leo Smith, Marilyn Crispell, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Vinny Golia, and Rene Lussier.