J. D. Parran is an American multi-woodwind player, educator, and composer specializing in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and

free improvisation Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...

. He plays the

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

, and

bass saxophone The bass saxophone is one of the lowest-pitched members of the saxophone family—larger and lower than the more common baritone saxophone. It was likely the first type of saxophone built by Adolphe Sax, as first observed by Berlioz in 1842. It ...

, as well as the

E-flat clarinet The E-flat (E) clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, smaller than the more common B clarinet and pitched a perfect fourth higher. It is typically considered the sopranino or piccolo member of the clarinet family and is a transposing inst ...

alto clarinet The alto clarinet is a woodwind instrument of the clarinet family. It is a transposing instrument pitched in the key of E, though instruments in F have been made. In size it lies between the soprano clarinet and the bass clarinet. It bears a grea ...

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...

contra-alto clarinet The contra-alto clarinet, E♭ contrabass clarinet, is a large clarinet pitched a perfect fifth below the B♭ bass clarinet. It is a transposing instrument in E♭ sounding an octave and a major sixth below its written pitch, between the ...

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

alto flute The alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, the second-highest member below the standard C flute after the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the ...

bamboo flute The bamboo flute, especially the bone flute, is one of the oldest musical instruments known. Examples of Paleolithic bone flutes have survived for more than 40,000 years, to be discovered by archaeologists. While the oldest flutes currently kno ...

Native American flute The Native American flute is a flute that is held in front of the player, has open finger holes, and has two chambers: one for collecting the breath of the player and a second chamber which creates sound. The player breathes into one end of the ...

, bamboo saxophone, and

nagaswaram The Nagaswaram (nādḥasvaram) is a double reed wind instrument from South India. It is used as a traditional classical instrument in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. This instrument is "among the world's loudes ...

Career

Parran spent his college years in St. Louis, Missouri, where he attended

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs ...

and received an M.A. in music education from

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

. While a university student, he joined the

Black Artists' Group The Black Artists Group (BAG) was a multidisciplinary arts collective that existed in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1968 to 1972. BAG is known for the convergence of free jazz and experimental theater. Members Members included saxophonists Julius ...

with

Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A membe ...

. He moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1971 and has served as chairman of the music department and the director of Jazz and African American Music Studies at

The Harlem School of the Arts Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) is an art school in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. Harlem School of the Arts was founded in 1964, by soprano Dorothy Maynor. Maynor was succeeded by mezzo-soprano Betty Allen as President in 1979, when a new 3 ...

. He has taught at the

City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...

and Greenwich House Music School. Parran has recorded with

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

and

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

. For fifteen years he was a member of the experimental woodwind trio New Winds with

Robert Dick Robert Dick (January 1811 – 24 December 1866), was a Scottish geologist and botanist. Life He was born at Tullibody, in Clackmannanshire. His father was an officer of excise in nearby Alloa. At the age of thirteen, after receiving a good e ...

and

Ned Rothenberg Ned Rothenberg (born September 15, 1956) is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer. He specializes in woodwind instruments, including the alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, and shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute). He is known ...

, and is a member of

Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is an eight-time NB ...

's Episteme ensemble. He also performs and records with

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chica ...

's ensembles and has collaborated with Leroy Jenkins,

Douglas Ewart Douglas R. Ewart (born 13 September 1946 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican multi-instrumentalist and instrument builder. He plays sopranino and alto saxophones, clarinets, bassoon, flute, bamboo flutes ('' shakuhachi'', ''ney'', and panpipe ...

, John Lindberg,

Peter Brötzmann Peter Brötzmann (born 6 March 1941) is a German saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Early life Brötzmann was born in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He studied painting in Wuppertal and was involved with the Fluxus movement ...

, and the free improvisation group Company, which included Derek Bailey, Hugh Davies,

Jamie Muir Jamie Muir (born 1943 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish painter and former musician, best known for his work as the percussionist in King Crimson from 1972–1973. Biography Muir attended the Edinburgh College of Art during the 1960s, and began playi ...

Evan Parker Evan Shaw Parker (born 5 April 1944) is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation. Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free ja ...

Vinko Globokar Vinko Globokar (born 7 July 1934) is a French-Slovenian avant-garde composer and trombonist. Globokar's music uses unconventional and extended techniques, places great emphasis on spontaneity and creativity, and often relies on improvisation. Hi ...

, and

Joëlle Léandre Joëlle Léandre (born 12 September 1951 in Aix-en-Provence, France) is a French double bassist, vocalist, and composer active in Contemporary classical music, new music and free improvisation. In the field of contemporary music, she has perfor ...

Discography

As leader

* ''J. D. Parran & Spirit Stage'' (Y'All of New York, 1997) * ''Omegathorp: Living City'' (Y'All of New York, 2005)

As sideman

With

* ''4 (Ensemble) Compositions'' (Black Saint, 1993) * ''

Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978 ''Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978'' is a live album by American composer and saxophonist Anthony Braxton. Recorded in Germany in 1978 but not released on the hatART label until 1995, the album features a live concert featuring several of Braxton' ...

'' (hatART, 1995) * '' Tentet (New York) 1996'' (Braxton House, 1996) * ''

Ensemble (New York) 1995 ''Ensemble (New York) 1995'' is a live album by composer and saxophonist Anthony Braxton with an ensemble, recorded at the Knitting Factory in 1995 and released on his own Braxton House label.

'' (Braxton House, 1997) * ''Four Compositions (Washington, D.C.) 1998'' (Braxton House, 1999) * '' Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997 Vol. 1'' (Leo, 2002) * '' Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997 Vol. 2'' (Leo, 2003) * '' Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997 Vol. 3'' (Leo, 2005) * '' Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997 Vol. 4'' (Leo, 2007) * ''GTM (Knitting Factory) 1997 Vol. 2 New'' (Braxton House, 2011) * ''Orchestra (Paris) 1978'' (Braxton Bootleg, 2011) With

Thomas Buckner Thomas Buckner (born 1941) is an American baritone vocalist specializing in the performance of contemporary classical music and improvised music. In his work, he utilizes a wide range of extended (non-traditional) vocal techniques. Buckner als ...

* ''Full Spectrum Voice'' (Lovely Music, 1991) * ''Inner Journey'' (Lovely Music, 1998) With

Don Byron Donald Byron (born November 8, 1958) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet but has also played bass clarinet and saxophone in a variety of genres that includes free jazz and klezmer. Biography His mother w ...

* ''

Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz ''Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz'' is an album by clarinetist Don Byron featuring music associated with comedian and musician Mickey Katz which was released on the Nonesuch label in 1993. Reception The Allmusic review by Bob Tarte sta ...

'' (Elektra Nonesuch, 1993) * ''You Are #6: More Music for Six Musicians'' (Blue Note, 2001) * ''Love, Peace, and Soul'' (Savoy, 2012) With

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

* Company, ''1983'' (Honest Jons 2020) * Company, ''Trios'' (Incus, 1986) With

* ''Variations in Dream-Time'' (India Navigation, 1982) * ''Hemispheres'' (Gramavision, 1983) * ''Return from Space (Wonder Nonfiction)'' (Gramavision, 1985) * ''Undine'' (Gramavision, 1987) * ''Tania'' (Koch, 2001) * ''Notes from the Underground'' (BMOP/sound, 2014) With

Marty Ehrlich Marty Ehrlich (born May 31, 1955) is a multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) and is considered one of the leading figures in avant-garde jazz. Biography Though born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the portion of Ehrlich's youth spent in ...

* ''The Long View'' (Enja, 2002) * ''A Trumpet in the Morning'' (New World, 2013) With

Julius Hemphill Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute. Biography Hemphill was born in Fort Worth, Texas, ...

* ''

Julius Hemphill Big Band ''Julius Hemphill Big Band'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Julius Hemphill recorded in 1988 for the Elektra/Musician label.

'' (Elektra Musician, 1988) * ''One Atmosphere'' (Tzadik, 2003) With others * The Band, '' Rock of Ages (The Band in Concert)'' (Capitol, 1972) *

, ''The Clarinet Family'' (Black Saint, 1987) *

, ''Berlin Djungle'' (FMP, 1987) *

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...

, ''Better Days'' (Bearsville, 1973) *

Nels Cline Nels Courtney Cline (born January 4, 1956) is an American guitarist and composer. He has been the guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004. In the 1980s he played jazz, often in collaboration with his twin brother Alex Cline, Alex, a percussionis ...

, '' Lovers'' (Blue Note, 2016) *

Bill Dixon William Robert “Bill” Dixon (October 5, 1925 – June 16, 2010) was an American composer, improviser, visual artist, activist, and educator. Dixon was one of the seminal figures in free jazz and late twentieth-century contemporary music. Hi ...

, '' 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur'' (AUM Fidelity, 2008) *

, ''Angles of Entrance'' (Arawak, 1998) *

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

, '' Easy Come Easy Go'' (Naive, 2008) * Andrew Hill, ''

A Beautiful Day ''A Beautiful Day'' is a live album by American jazz pianist Andrew Hill recorded in 2002 at Birdland in New York City and released on the Palmetto label.

'' (Palmetto, 2002) * Human Arts Ensemble, ''Whisper of Dharma'' (Universal Justice, 1972) *

Jason Hwang Jason Kao Hwang (born 1957) is a Chinese American violinist and composer. He is known for his unconventional and improvisational jazz violin technique as well as his chamber opera ''The Floating Box: A Story in Chinatown'' which premiered in 2001 ...

, ''Unfolding Stone'' (Sound Aspects, 1990) * Leroy Jenkins, ''

Mixed Quintet ''Mixed Quintet'' is an album by American jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins recorded in 1979 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1979) *

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

, ''

Double Fantasy ''Double Fantasy'' is the fifth album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in November 1980 on Geffen Records. Produced by Lennon, Ono and Jack Douglas, it was the seventh and final studio album released by Lennon during his lifetime. The album ...

'' (Geffen, 1980) *

George E. Lewis George Emanuel Lewis (born July 14, 1952) is an American composer, performer, and scholar of experimental music. He has been a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) since 1971, when he joined the organization ...

, ''Chicago Slow Dance'' (Lovely Music, 1981) * John Lindberg, ''Trilogy of Works for Eleven Instrumentalists'' (Black Saint, 1985) *

Annea Lockwood Annea Lockwood (born July 29, 1939, in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a New Zealand-born American composer and academic musician. She taught electronic music at Vassar College. Her work often involves recordings of natural Musique concrète, found ...

, ''Thousand Year Dreaming'' (What Next?, 1993) *

Jackie Lomax John Richard Lomax (10 May 1944 – 15 September 2013) was an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his association with George Harrison, who produced Lomax's recordings for the Beatles' Apple record label in the late 1 ...

, ''Three'' (Warner Bros., 1972) *

Ken Peplowski Ken Peplowski (born May 23, 1959) is an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and known primarily for playing swing music. For over a decade, Peplowski recorded for Concord Records. In 2 ...

, ''Grenadilla'' (Concord Jazz, 1998) *

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

, ''

Set the Twilight Reeling ''Set the Twilight Reeling'' is the seventeenth studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released on February 20, 1996 by Warner Bros. Records. Packaging and lyrics The cover artwork direction and packaging design was done by Stefan Sag ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1995) *

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wait ...

, ''

Requiem for What's His Name ''Requiem for What's His Name'' is the second album by Marc Ribot & The Rootless Cosmopolitans which was released by the Belgian label Les Disques du Crepuscule in 1992. Recording The album was recorded in New York City at Sound on Sound Recordin ...

'' (Les Disques Du Crepuscule, 1992) * Jason Robinson, ''Resonant Geographies'' (pfMENTUM, 2018) * Jason Robinson, ''Tiresian Symmetry'' (Cuneiform, 2012) *

Alan Silva Alan Silva (born Alan Lee da Silva; January 22, 1939 in Bermuda) is an American free jazz double bassist and keyboard player. Biography Silva was born a British subject to an Azorean/Portuguese mother, Irene da Silva, and a black Bermudian fat ...

, ''

Alan Silva & the Sound Visions Orchestra ''Alan Silva & the Sound Visions Orchestra'' is a live album by multi-instrumentalist Alan Silva. It was recorded in May 1999 at St. Nicholas of Myra Church in New York City during the annual Vision Festival, and was released in 2001 by Eremite Re ...

'' (Eremite, 2001) * Alan Silva, '' H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box'' (Eremite, 2003) *

Luther Thomas image:Dizzazz.jpg, 200px, Dizzazz in June 1981. From left to right : Luther Thomas (as), Danny Petroni (g), Donald Nicks (bass), Marvin Neal (tb), Warren Benbow (drums), John K. Mulkerin (tp) and Billy "Spaceman" Paterson (g) Luther Thomas was an ...

, ''Funky Donkey Vol. 1'' (Creative Consciousness, 1977) *

Edward Vesala Edward Vesala (15 February 1945 – 4 December 1999), born Martti Vesala, was a Finnish avant-garde jazz drummer. Career Born in Mäntyharju, he began playing jazz and rock in the 1960s, in such bands as Blues Section and Apollo. In the 1970s ...

, ''Heavy Life'' (Leo, 1980) *

, ''

Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I ''Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I'' is a compilation album by R&B/soul musician Stevie Wonder that was released in 1982 by Tamla Records. It collects eleven Top 40 hit singles and five album tracks, including four previously unreleased tra ...

'' (Tamla, 1982)

External links

J. D. Parran biography
at Washington University in St. Louis {{DEFAULTSORT:Parran, J. D. Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Washington University in St. Louis alumni Webster University alumni 21st-century clarinetists 21st-century American saxophonists African-American saxophonists American jazz bass clarinetists American jazz clarinetists American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Avant-garde jazz clarinetists Avant-garde jazz saxophonists Free jazz clarinetists Free jazz saxophonists Human Arts Ensemble members American male jazz musicians Music of St. Louis 21st-century American male musicians