Spontaneous Music Ensemble

The Spontaneous Music Ensemble (SME) was a flexible collective of free improvising musicians formed in the mid-1960s. Spearheaded by South London-based drummer and trumpeter John Stevens and alto and soprano saxophonist Trevor Watts, the ensemble provided a platform for spontaneous musical creation.

SME performances varied significantly in scale, from intimate duets featuring Stevens and Watts to larger gatherings involving over a dozen musicians. The group's history can be broadly divided into two distinct phases. The earlier period was characterized by ensembles with a strong emphasis on horns, often featuring Watts alongside musicians such as Evan Parker and Kenny Wheeler. The later phase saw a shift towards string-based ensembles, with guitarist Roger Smith becoming a central figure, akin to Watts's role in the initial iteration. Violinist Nigel Coombes was also a key member during this period. The quartet album Biosystem (Incus, 1977), which included cellist Colin Wood, marks a transitional point between these two eras.