Woodwind artist John Surman is not a name one hears in this country very often, even in jazz circles, despite a career that spans 45 years. This is largely because his journey is centered in Europe, where the native of Devon, England first gained recognition in the fertile London scene of the mid-1960s. There, he played with band leaders like Mike Westbrook, Alexis Korner, and Ronnie Scott, all pioneers of British jazz. The soon-to-be 65-year old went on to record with guitar great John McLaughlin, Miles Davis collaborator Gil Evans, and others. In the late ’70s, Surman began a relationship with the quintessential European jazz label, ECM Records, which continues to this day. Tonight, he begins a rare area appearance at Blues Alley, in support of his latest ECM release, Brewster’s Rooster.

“It’s a good combination of tunes,” Surman told DCist, describing the new recording’s material. “There’s a John Warren tune, Billy Strayhorn‘s “Chelsea Bridge”, and the rest that are mine.”

For this album, Surman, who is now based in Oslo, Norway, assembled an all-star cast of players, which will reconvene this weekend at Blues Alley. Bassist Drew Gress, who began his career locally, is the only band member with whom Surman has never played, but who nonetheless has an international reputation because of his impeccable tone and interactive style. John Abercrombie, another ECM regular, is one of the finest guitarists of his generation and has a discography, as a leader and sideman, that stretches back 40 years. Last, but certainly not least, is drummer Jack DeJohnette, whose career began with saxophonist Charles Lloyd in the ’60s, and went on to include a three-year stint with Miles Davis (’69 – ’72) and a seminal decades-long collaboration with pianist Keith Jarrett.

“The goal really was to enjoy music making with these fantastic musicians,” Surman said. “They added a great deal I wasn’t expecting. In a way, it would be silly for me to say I was surprised.”