James Chance

A key figure in New York's No Wave scene, James Chance was a confrontational saxophonist and singer who fused the nihilistic energy of punk with the volatile improvisation of free jazz and the abrasive rhythms of funk. Born James Siegfried, he moved to New York in the mid-1970s and became a central force in the downtown underground. He first gained notoriety with *Lydia Lunch* in Teenage Jesus and the Jerks before forming The Contortions. The band's inclusion on the *Brian Eno*-produced compilation 'No New York' and their seminal 1979 album 'Buy' on #ZE Records# defined the No Wave genre's aggressive, avant-garde sound. Simultaneously, he led the funk-oriented James White and the Blacks, showcasing a different, though equally intense, side of his musical persona.