Alex Coke was born in Dallas, Texas, 1953. He found his voice in both the tenor sax and the flute and received his B.A. from The University of Colorado at Boulder in 1976 with emphasis on flute performance. An original member of the Austin based Creative Opportunity Orchestra, Coke performed with Tina Marsh in various forms for over 25 years. Before moving to Amsterdam in the early ‘90s, he received numerous local awards including: 1990 Best Saxophonist, Music City Critics Poll / Austin, TX; 1990 Musician Magazine’s Best Of The Unsigned Bands Contest (Countenance and The Worthy Constituents); and 1988-1989 Best Jazz Band, Austin Chronicle Music Awards (Chris Duarte and Justus) to name a few. In addition to his many awards, Coke’s recording, radio, and TV credits are numerous.
From 1990-2000, Alex toured and recorded with the internationally renowned Dutch jazz group, The Willem Breuker Kollektief. An improviser at heart, Coke’s eclectic perspective has led him to explore everything from Be-Bop to Huddie Ledbetter. His flute studies have ranged from Eric Dolphy to Indian ragas on the bamboo flute to extended flute techniques such as those researched by Robert Dick, Ann LaBerge and Wil Offermans.
As a native Texan and featured soloist on numerous projects in Texas, The Netherlands, and Africa, Coke has had the honor of working with some of the world’s most creative and diverse musicians including Tina Marsh, The Creative Opportunity Orchestra, Reeds and Deeds, KlezEdge, Drummer’s Double Bill, Gerald Wilson, Charles Tolliver, The Paradise Regained Orchestra, The John Jordan Trio, The Mysterious Quartet from Helsinki featuring Chris Duarte, Greezy Wheels, The Alejandro Escovedo Orchestra, and many others.
Coke’s release entitled “Wake Up DeadMan/Iraqnophobia,” features two large group compositions commissioned by Tina Marsh and The Creative Opportunity Orchestra. It was recorded in 2004 and is on the VoxLox label which spotlights humanitarian and ecological causes.
In 2019, Rock Tumbler Records and the Liminal Sound series released their first vinyl recording featuring Coke’s compositions with a septet that included woodwinds, brass, 2 acoustic basses, concert harp, pedal steel and drums.
Coke has also written original works throughout the years for various groups including: The Worthy Constituents, Creative Opportunity Orchestra, JAMAD, New Texas Swing, Carl Smith Tentet, Ramone Herman, and Labor of Love.