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Jon Hiseman RIP

One of the great drummers of the rock era has died. Jon Hiseman was a veteran of such ground-breaking groups as Colosseum (I and II), Tempest, John Mayal's Bleusbreakers, and was a founding member of the innovative large band United Jazz + Rock Ensemble.

by Jon Davis, Published 2018-06-13

Jon Hiseman, ca. 1968Hiseman was born in 1944 in Woolwich, London, and his musical career began with Arthur Brown in the mid-60s. He played in Graham Bond's Organisation. After a stint with John Mayal, he formed Colosseum with Dick Heckstall-Smith, Dave Greenslade, Tony Reeves, and James Litherland in 1968. The group was one of the first to combine jazz and rock in a progressive idiom. The band recorded four studio albums and a double live set before splitting in 1971.

Hiseman's next project was called Tempest, and involved Allan Holdsworth, Paul Williams, and Mark Clarke. Ollie Halsall later joined, and Holdsworth left. Following that, Hiseman formed the high-energy second edition of Colosseum with Gary Moore and Don Airey. He also worked with his wife, saxophonist Barbara Thompson on a number of projects, and both were involved in the founding of United Jazz + Rock Ensemble with a who's-who of international musicians.

In May of 2018, it was announced that he was suffering from a brain tumor, and he died on 12 June, leaving behind an admirable legacy of music in many genres.

Filed under: Obituaries

Related artist(s): Colosseum, Colosseum II, Tempest, The United Jazz+Rock Ensemble

More info
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/18/jon-hiseman-obituary

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