How Many Clouds Can You See?

How Many Clouds Can You See? is the second album by English saxophonist John Surman featuring Harry Beckett, Alan Skidmore, Barre Phillips, and Tony Oxley recorded in 1970 and released on the Deram label.

How Many Clouds Can You See?
Studio album by John Surman
Released	1970
Genre	Jazz
Length	45:52
Label	Deram
Producer	Peter Eden
John Surman chronology
John Surman (1969) How Many Clouds Can You See? (1970) Live in Altena (1970)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
All About Jazz	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]

Allmusic awards the album 4+1⁄2 stars and its review by Jason Ankeny states: "John Surman's second album remains his most impressive, anticipating the sound and scope of the European free jazz movement that would blossom in the decade to come".^[1] John Kelman in his All About Jazz review states: "While woodwind multi-instrumentalist John Surman's eponymous debut was a strange mixture of everything from free improvisation to calypso, his second date, 1970's How Many Clouds Can You See?, is a much more focused affair. Surman clearly references one of his roots, John Coltrane, albeit on an instrument that the legendary saxophonist never played.^[2]

Track listing

All compositions by John Surman except where noted.

Side one

1. "Galata Bridge"
2. "Caractacus"
3. "Premonition" (John Warren)

Side two

1. "Event"
   1. "Gathering"
   2. "Ritual")
   3. "Circle Dance"
2. "How Many Clouds Can You See?"^{[nb 1]}

Personnel

Musicians

• Mike Osborne – alto saxophone (1, 3)
• John Warren – baritone saxophone, flute (3)
• John Surman – baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet
• Barre Phillips (3-5), Harry Miller (1) – bass
• Alan Jackson (1-2), Tony Oxley (3-5) – drums
• Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone, flute (1, 3)
• Chris Pyne (3), Malcolm Griffiths (1, 3) – trombone
• Dave Holdsworth – trumpet (3)
• Harold Beckett – trumpet, flugelhorn (1, 3)
• John Taylor – piano (1, 3-5)
• George Smith – tuba (3)

Other credits

• Bill Price, Dave Grinsted – engineer
• Miles Kington – liner notes
• David Osborne – photography