Mark Simmonds

A truly great saxophonist has recently left us. Even though he hadn't played much for many years, his influence continues to be strongly felt on Australian jazz. An extract from the Sydney Morning Herald below.

"MARK SIMMONDS: 1955-2020

You'd look around the room and the see the other faces, blanched and wide-eyed, as though subjected to extreme G-forces. The sound of the saxophone, so overwhelming it seemed to hit you with the force of a shockwave, combined with the torrential emotions being conveyed to make a perfect musical storm.

This was a typical concert by Mark Simmonds, perhaps the most potent musician Australia has produced on any instrument in any idiom or era, and one of the world's key tenor saxophonists of the past 45 years."

You can read more about Mark's life here.

You can listen to some of his masterful playing here.