PAXRECORDS ;is a private collection of recordings spanning over 30 years.....some are live, others from studio archives. most feature myself on saxophones or bass clarinet, occasionally keyboard........

I had just bought my first tenor, (a brand new Yamaha for $400.00) discovered Coltrane and was already obsessed with the saxophone when Roland Kirk brought something else to me; a new, more powerful musical experience, totally. Sydney Town Hall on a Sunday night in 1971 or ‘72, and another aspect of improvised music became apparent. (I would observe this again in Art Pepper and Mal Waldron, Freddie Hubbard, Bernie McGann, Roger Frampton and Dizzy; the art had transcended the person, or the person had transcended the art.) Rhassan was led onto the stage almost blind and recovering from a stroke, yet so powerful beyond the man, a vehicle for raw expression. (What is human spirit without art?) He played three saxophones at once yeh, but his stringent sound and focus was amazing, his presence so powerful, full of joy and passion with a huge personality. Rhassan was playing for other reasons, spiritual reasons. He gave me the clear message that to be an improvising musician was a great honour; beyond playing the horn, he was expressing human on another level. I heard the essence of humanity. There was no question in my mind now, I wanted to play...