John Stevens Drummer Date of Birth: 10.06.1946 Country: Great Britain

Biography of John Stevens

John Stevens, the renowned drummer, was one of the pioneers and biggest names in the field of improvisation. He was a co-founder of the 'Spontaneous Music Ensemble' (SME). Born into a family of dancers, Stevens developed a deep interest in painting during his childhood. However, he also had a passion for jazz and began exploring his musical talents through playing drums. He continued to express himself through art using brushes and pencils throughout his life. Stevens attended the Ilford College of Arts and initially began working in a design studio. However, at the age of 19, he abandoned both his job and studies to join the Royal Air Force.

Stevens learned the art of drumming at the Royal Air Force Music School in Uxbridge, where he also met musicians Trevor Watts and Paul Rutherford. Together, they would later form the music collective 'SME'. In the mid-1960s, John began playing in jazz bands. Influenced by free jazz, he started moving away from traditional bebop towards experimentation. In 1966, Stevens, Watts, and Rutherford formed the 'SME' and began working on their music at the 'Little Theatre Club'. Their first album, 'Challenge', was released in 1967. Stevens became interested in the music of Anton Webern, and 'SME' started playing quieter compositions. Eventually, he lost interest in Western music.

'SME' continued to make numerous recordings, with changes in the lineup, but Stevens remained a constant member. He also played drums in other collectives such as 'Amalgam', 'Freebop', and 'Fast Colour'. In 1967, Evan Parker joined 'SME' and remained with the group for an extended period. It was Parker who extracted two fundamental principles of Stevens' improvisation art: if you cannot hear other musicians, you are playing too loudly, and if you are not playing in harmony with the other musicians, improvisation loses its meaning.

Stevens developed a system of departure points for improvisation, using short motifs from which the music could evolve in any direction. By 1970, the changing lineup of 'SME' gradually settled into a stable formation, with Stevens on drums, N. Kumbs on violin, and R. Smith on guitar.

In 1983, Stevens began collaborating with 'Community Music' (CM), an organization through which he promoted his music in youth clubs and organizations focused on mental well-being, among others. His notes from these performances later became the book 'Search and Reflect' (1985). 'SME' reunited for the last time in 1994, and shortly after, Stevens passed away in the same year.