Born Pittsburgh PA in 1942 and grew up around Philadelphia and Chicago. He began playing saxophone in 1952, with private instruction; meanwhile also singing in groups large and small through 1964, after which he ceased playing music. Attended Lafayette College in Easton PA, where he studied European history and literature and graduated 1964; Johns Hopkins University, MA in European history, 1972; taught history at Temple U. 1968-72, after which he left the academic world. In this latter period he was involved in left politics, organizing on a community level.

In the late seventies he returned to music in earnest, and began playing free improvised music on the saxophone, and piano. He sought out partners in NY and the East Coast, then in 1983 began extensive tours in Europe, which continued until 1986. In the US his partners were Toshi Makihara, Jim Meneses, William Parker, Todd Whitman; in Europe he performed with Hannes Bauer, Joe Sachse, Wigald Boning, Lars Rudolph, Wittwulf Malik, Peter Hollinger, Bernhard Arndt, and Andreas Stehle, touring Germany, England, Switzerland and Italy. In 1984 he began touring the US, either as soloist or with his European partners, Roger Turner and Lars Rudolph, and an American dancer from Chicago, Bob Eisen. In this period of the eighties his music would be considered free jazz, very full and expressive. He was known for playing in places that had never been exposed to free improvisation, and encouraging young players everywhere, such that Davey Williams titled him the “Johnny Appleseed” of North American free improvisation.

In 1988 he moved to Boulder CO and got involved in painting and writing, continuing his private study of European literature and philosophy. Yet he continued playing, as a member of the local community of players, and touring the US regularly. In the late nineties there was a resurgence of interest in non-idiomatic free improvisation in the US, especially coming from Boston, but increasingly throughout the country. In 2000 Wright did an extensive tour of the West Coast with Boston soprano saxophonist Bhob Rainey, and recorded with him in three different groups. His music became largely sound-oriented, using space, texture, and sustained tones, but always with a characteristic energy and musicality. He moved back to the East Coast in 2003 to be closer to his playing partners and now lives in Easton PA. Since then he has become closely involved with the New York scene.

He has presented his music at most of the new improv festivals in the US: four years at High Zero in Baltimore, The Seattle Improv Festival, the SFALT Festival in the Bay Area, California, the Autumn Uprising in Boston, and the Improvised and Otherwise Festival in Brooklyn. In 2005 he performed at the Museum of Modern Art in NY in a mini-festival, Relay, involving 13 American and European players. He continues to seek out new partners, and in 2002 and every year since he has returned to Europe to that end, performing with John Butcher, Tony Wren, John Russell, Birgit Uhler, Axel Doerner, Carl-Ludwig Huebsch, Thomas Lehn, LeQuan Ninh, and Michel Doneda. He also played privately with Tim Hodgkinson, Uli saxes; Jack on tenor, alto, soprano, rec. 1999, relPhillipp, Wolfgang Schliemann, Martin Theurer, Andrea Neumann, Michael Griener, Sabine Vogel, and Phil Durrant, among others. In recent years he has renewed his label, Spring Garden Music, which presents his own music and that of his partners. As of June 2006 his label has released fourteen cd‘s and one vinyl record.

His most recent tours have been with Michael Johnsen, electronics, and Sebastien Cirotteau in Europe; with French soprano sax player Michel Doneda and percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani in Japan, France and the US (30 performances), Carol Genetti, vocalist, and Jon Mueller, perc.; and in the US, cellist Bob Marsh of the Bay area; in Europe with Nate Wooley, trumpet, of NY (Jersey City, NJ), Michael Griener percussion and Sabine Vogel flute of Berlin; Reuben Radding, NYC bassist; Phil Durrant, English laptop musician; trumpet player Tom Djll from Oakland and soprano sax player Bhob Rainey.

In his European tours 2003-2006 he has been spending his time mostly in France, performing with Agnes Palier, vocalist; Sebastien Cirotteau, trumpet; Marlene Jobstl, butoh dancer; Pascal Battus, table guitar; Philippe Berger, violin; Jean-Philippe Gross, electronics; Sharif Sehnaoui, guitar; Christine Sehnaoui, alto sax; Nozalcube, musique concrete, electronics; Benjamin Duboc, bass; Dan Warburton, violin; Stephane Rives, soprano sax; Jean-luc Guionnet, alto sax; David Chiesa, double bass; and Barre Philipps, double bass.

Wright has partners in most major cities of the US, with whom he plays on his tours, over sixty musicians with whom he is developing music. Among those of the past two years are: Ricardo Arias, balloons, NYC; John Berndt, saxes and elect., Baltimore; Mike Bullock, bass, Boston; John Dikeman, tenor sax, Philadelphia/Cairo Egypt; Tom Djll, tpt, Oakland CA; Andrew Drury, percussion, NYC; Lisle Ellis, bass, San Diego; Bob Falesch, computer elect., keyboard, Chicago; Carol Genetti, voice, Chicago; Morgan Guberman, bass, voice, Oakland; Andy Hayleck, bowed cymbals, Baltimore; Katt Hernandez, violin, Boston; Kurt Heyl, tbn, Cerillos NM; Matt Ingalls, reeds, computer elect., Oakland; Michael Johnsen, electronics, Pittsburgh; Greg Kelley, tpt, Boston; Andrew Lafkas, bass, NYC; Fred Lonberg-Holm, cello, Chicago; Toshi Makihara, dr, Phila.; Bob Marsh, cello, voice, violin, El Cerrito CA; Wade Matthews, bass cl., flute, electr., Madrid Spain; Jon Mueller, perc., Milwaukee WI; Tatsuya Nakatani, dr, NYC; Paul Neidhardt, percussion, Baltimore; Tari Nelson-Zagar, violin, Seattle; Mike Pride, dr, Brooklyn; Reuben Radding, bass, NYC; Bhob Rainey, sop sax, Boston; Vic Rawlings, cello, elect., Boston; Eric Rosenthal, perc, Boston; John Shiurba, g, Oakland; Wally Shoup, sax, Seattle; Matt Weston, perc, Easthampton, MA; Fritz Welch, percussion, NYC; Nate Wooley, tpt, Jersey City; Ben Wright, bass, Questa NM; Michael Zerang, perc, Chicago

DISCOGRAPHY
(total 36, beginning 1982) since 2002:

As Is, Solos from Beirut and Barcelona, Spring Garden Music 16, 2006
Road Signs, Tom Djll, Bhob Rainey, Soul on Rice Productions, 2006
No Stranger to Air, Michel Doneda and Tatsuya Nakatani, Sprout 1, 2006,
Truant Runts, Michael Johnsen, Sprout 2, 2006
This is not an Exit, Reuben Radding, Sachimay Intervention, 2006
A Combination of events, incl. with John Dikeman, Nate Wooley, Mike Pride, 2005, aRCHIVE 9
From Between, Michel Doneda, Tatsuya Nakatani, SOSeditions, 2005
Twist and Thrall, Todd Whitman, SGM13, 2005
Whoosh, Paul Neidhardt, Andy Hayleck; SGM 15, 2005
Nom Tom, Carol Genetti, Jon Mueller; SGM 14, 2004
Up For Grabs, solo, SGM 012, 2004
No Idea Festival, various groupings, including trio with Sabine Vogel, Michael Griener; SGM 11; Coincident Records 001, 2004
On the Loose Way Down East, Tom Djll; Tom Djll recordings, 2002
From Between, Michel Doneda, Tatsuya Nakatani trio; SOSEditions 801, 2003
Matthew Sperry & Jack Wright Duets 1998, Limited Sedition Matthew Sperry Memorial Series 003, released 2003
Birds in the Hand, Bob Marsh; Public Eyesore 69, 2003
Open Wide, various groupings, Hi Zero festival, Recorded 006, 2001
Close Fit, trio with Grant Strombeck, Nick Sondy; ZeroEggzie 0x-50e6, 2002
One Day’s Music, Kurt Heyl, Dave Nielsen, Dave Wayne/Al Faaet; Xerx 043, 2002
Clang, Bob Falesch; Zeroeggzie Ox-2bdf, 2002

for more info: www.springgardenmusic.com/bio.html