Biography
Coat Cooke, serving as both saxophonist and co-director, established the NOW Orchestra in 1987. This fifteen-piece improvising ensemble operates from the West Coast of North America and draws its members from Washington and Vancouver. By the late '90s the roster featured co-director and guitarist Ron Samworth, cellist Peggy Lee, drummer Dylan VanDerSchyff, and pianist Paul Plimley. The group has appeared at festivals such as Vancouver's du Maurier International Jazz Festival and FIMAV while working alongside major improvisers including Wadada Leo Smith, Marilyn Crispell, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Vinny Golia, and Rene Lussier.
Albums