Wally Shoup

Wally Shoup ( b. 1944 in North Carolina) is an American alto saxophonist of free jazz and free improvisation.

Shoup grew up in Charlotte ( North Carolina) and worked as a teacher. In the late 1960s, he first moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and then to Colorado. In the late 1960s he became interested in free improvisation to be interested and followed the first as a jazz presenter on a local radio station, then began playing the saxophone with first appearances in 1975. In his music he combined free jazz and noise. His first album Scree -Run Waltz was published in 1981 ( a duo with Ross Rabin ). In 1983, he moved to Birmingham ( Alabama), played with Trans duo of LaDonna Smith and Davey Williams, wrote for the magazine Improvisor and toured Europe in 1985 with dancer Mary Horn. In the same year he moved to Seattle, where in 1985 he founded the Improvised Music Festival (which takes place regularly in February ). There is still (2013 ) in Seattle and is organized by Shoup with.

In 1994 he founded with cellist Brent Arnold Project Y with an eponymous CD in 1994 Apraxia. He also released two CD's with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth ( Hurricane Floyd in 1994, Live at Tonic 2003 in a quartet with Paul Flaherty, Chris Corsano ) and two with Nels Cline of the alternative rock band Wilco ( Immolation / Immersion 2005 suite: Bittersweet 2007).

In 2001 he founded the Wally Shoup Trio with Reuben Radding (bass) and Bob Rees (drums) and he also has a quartet.

In 2011 he published his book Music as Adventure ( Nine Muse Books).