Solo Soprano – a Portrait of Lol Coxhill

Originally commissioned as an installation by the Full of Noises Festival, this new cinema version is an exploration of the nature of creativity, artistic integrity, improvisation and time – through an intimate portrait of free improvising soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill, who died in 2012. Specialising in the solo improvisation but also known for his work with soul singer Rufus Thomas, progressive rocker Kevin Ayers, punk band the Damned, and film directors Sally Potter and Derek Jarman – Lol Coxhill was a leading member of the international free improvised music scene. He was a much loved personality as well as a great musician. Commissioned by the Full of Noises Festival, this film mixes five solo improvisations with images of Coxhill’s personal archive of music, instruments, toys, ephemera and archive footage from a documentary made in 1972.Extracts from ‘Coxhill’ 1972 documentary courtesy Mick Audsley and the Royal College of Art.Read Helen Petts’ talking about why she loved Lol Coxhill’s music on Sound and Music’s British Music Collection website here.