There are two artists with the name Paul Rutherford. The first, chronologically, was a free improvisational trombonist from England. The second was member of the 80's pop group Frankie Goes To Hollywood. 1. ...show more

There are two artists with the name Paul Rutherford. The first, chronologically, was a free improvisational trombonist from England. The second was member of the 80's pop group Frankie Goes To Hollywood. 1.

Paul Rutherford (1940-2007) was a free improv trombone player. He was part of the early 70s improv group Iskra 1903 with guitarist Derek Bailey and bassist Barry Guy. After a few years the group was revived with Philipp Wachsmann replacing Bailey, a phase of the group's life that lasted from roughly 1977 to 1995. Iskra 1903 was one of the earliest free improvising groups to omit a drummer/percussionist, permitting the players to explore a range of textures and dynamics which set it apart from other contemporary improvising ensembles like Spontaneous Music Ensemble and AMM.

The group's unusual name means "spark" in Russian; it was the title of a revolutionary newspaper edited by Lenin. The "1903" designation means "20th century music for trio"; occasionally Evan Parker played with the group (Iskra 1904) and Rutherford also at one point assembled a 12-piece ensemble called, inevitably, Iskra 1912. Rutherford also played with Globe Unity Orchestra, London Jazz Composer's Orchestra, and The Mike Westbrook Orchestra. He also played a very small number of gigs with Soft Machine. ...show less