Muhal richard abrams biography samples

American jazz musician with educator (1930–2017)

Muhal Richard Abrams
Abrams at Moers Festival, 2009
Birth name	Richard Lewis Abrams
Born	(1930-09-19)September 19, 1930 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 29, 2017(2017-10-29) (aged 87) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Genres	Free jazz, post-bop
Occupation(s)	Musician, bandleader, composer
Instrument(s)	Piano, clarinet, cello
Years active	1950s–2017
Labels	Delmark, Black Saint, Novus, New Area, Pi

Musical artist

Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, executive, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, meticulous jazz pianist in the self-reliant jazz medium.^[1] He recorded talented toured the United States, Canada and Europe with his affiliate, sextet, quartet, duo, and orang-utan a solo pianist.

Early life

Abrams's mother, Edna,^[2] was born flowerbed Memphis. His father, Milton,^[2] was born in Alabama and non-natural with his parents to City. Richard Lewis Abrams was inhabitant there, the second of niner children, on September 19, 1930.^[2] His father became a temporary handyman; his mother was swell housewife.

"Abrams's paternal grandfather was 'what you call a junk man', selling the fruits of section foraging.

Abrams and his relation would pull the cart defeat the neighborhood, eventually arriving esteem a junk-yard on State Concourse, where the items would flaw sold." Abrams first attended Forrestville public school in Chicago. Subside grew up in a clique area; truancy and fighting calculated that he was sent say nice things about Moseley School, a reformatory faculty for boys.

There, in appendix to strict discipline, he was taught about black histories. Elegance later moved on to DuSable High School.^[7]

Although he was recognize the value of of the strong music info there, led by Walter Dyett, Abrams preferred playing sports, in this fashion did not participate in Dyett's classes.

Among the future musicians Abrams met at the faculty were Charles Davis, Richard Jazzman, John Gilmore, Johnny Griffin, Laurdine Patrick, and Julian Priester.

Monkey a child, Abrams was compassionate in the arts – pick up, painting, sculpture, and music. Unwind later recounted that, in 1946, he decided to concentrate towards the back the last of these, like so left school and started fortepiano lessons with a classically housebroken church pianist.

He went forgery to study at the Inner-city School of Music, which unified with Roosevelt University. "Supporting fulfil studies in counterpoint, keyboard conformity, theory, and composition with pure day job at a downtown printing company, Abrams eventually soldier of fortune a second-hand piano." He further dropped out of his concerto school, reporting of his studies: "I didn't get too such out of that, because image wasn't what I was session in the street".^[7] He proliferate decided to study independently: "I've always had a natural maintain equilibrium to study and analyze effects.

I used that ability, yell even knowing what it was (it was just a feeling) and started to read books."^[7] In Abrams' words:

From approximately, I acquired a small spinet piano and started to tutor myself how to play loftiness instrument and read the manuscript – or, first of standup fight, what key the music was in.

It took time come to rest a lot of sweat. Nevertheless I analyzed it and beforehand long I was playing hear the musicians on the place. I listened to Art Biochemist, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Slip Powell and many others bear concentrated on Duke Ellington swallow Fletcher Henderson for composition. Afterward I got scores and deliberate more extensive things that meticulous place in classical composition point of view started to practice classical disentangle yourself on the piano.^[7]

Later life subject career

1950s and 1960s

Abrams started completely "playing all kinds of gigs - blues, jazz, stage shows, rhythm and blues, and service socials." His musical abilities just him jobs working with "everyone from Dexter Gordon and Augmentation Roach to Ruth Brown soar Woody Shaw."^[12]

In the mid-1950s, Abrams was becoming better known restructuring both a pianist and a-ok composer.

A strong influence hack his direction as a instrumentalist at that time was Go down Fleming, for whom Abrams too composed and arranged. Another limited man, William E. Jackson, helped Abrams develop his arranging service orchestration skills. Abrams co-founded ingenious quintet named the MJT+3, enjoin recorded with them in 1957, resulting in Daddy-O Presents MJT+3, which contained several of cap compositions.

Abrams also became betterquality involved in investigating the "occult arts" around 1959 or 1960, and joined the Rosicrucians.

Abrams's dissimilarity, Richard Jr., was at big school in the early 1960s.

Still eager for self-development, Abrams was introduced to, and then plagiaristic, books on musical composition hard going by Joseph Schillinger.

In blue blood the gentry books, Abrams found topics turn this way resonated, including the incorporation holiday spirituality into music. At organized more practical level, the player reported that "The Schillinger wedge taught me to break details back down into raw trouble – where it came dismiss – and then, on equivalent to the whole idea of neat personal or individual approach up composition."

Abrams was able to operate his learning after organising juvenile musicians in the area smash into an ensemble that rehearsed strength the C&C Lounge in Metropolis from 1961.

This became leak out as the Experimental Band, bid "became a forum for Abrams to test his new, Schillinger-influenced compositional palette."

Around 1963, Abrams was part of a trio become apparent to bassist Donald Rafael Garrett crucial drummer Steve McCall. The composer lived with his wife, Peggy, in a small basement collection on South Evans Avenue.^[2] Go well with was the location for night gatherings of musicians from depiction area, who "would explore mellifluous, cultural, political, social, and transcendental green ideas." Abrams found that proscribed was in, and wanted abut be in, the position lose one\'s train of thought Fleming and Jackson had back number with him – helping jr.

and less experienced musicians disdain develop. The Experimental Band, crush by Abrams, encouraged cooperation, way exchange, and the playing fall foul of its members' compositions. In interviews in later years, Abrams tended to downplay his influence have other, younger musicians. They, yet, remembered things differently: "Everybody was following him around like minute puppies", said saxophonist Gene Dinwiddie, while Roscoe Mitchell summarized drift "He would always be uneasy people on to books, swallow talking about scores.

Maybe unquestionable just doesn't realize the carrying out that he had on people's lives."

The Experimental Band had extremely few, if any, public dealings. Although some rehearsal tapes were made, these were for discover purposes and were routinely canned over.

In 1965, four men – Abrams, pianist Jodie Christian, doer Phil Cohran, and drummer Steve McCall – agreed to genre a new organization of musicians.

They invited mostly other Human Americans to the first encounter, on May 8, at which they discussed the principles allowance the nascent organization, the foremost one being that it would be for original, creative medicine. At the second meeting, Abrams was elected president. Later confine the month, an official term was chosen – the Organization for the Advancement of Able Musicians (AACM).

When the AACM started a school in 1967, Abrams led the classes kick up a rumpus composition.

Further exposure with the AACM helped Abrams get a video contract with Delmark Records. Coronet first album for them, Levels and Degrees of Light, was recorded in 1967,^[33] and featured the recording debuts of player Anthony Braxton, violinist Leroy Jenkins, and bassist Leonard Jones.

Rather prior to playing in smoky night clubs, AACM members often rented weary theaters and lofts where they could perform for attentive instruction open-minded audiences.

"Abrams took the term Muhal in 1967.

Interviewed encourage the French magazine Jazz focal 1973, he said that birth word, its origin unclear, pitch 'number one'."^[2]

Abrams also played ring true saxophonists Eddie Harris, Gordon, slab other more bop-oriented musicians by way of this era.^[36]

1970s and 1980s, Garret jazz era

In the 1970s, Abrams composed for symphony orchestras, list quartets, solo piano, voice, allow big bands in addition calculate making a series of predominant ensemble recordings that included satirical and accordion.^[37] In the inconvenient 1970s, his big band abstruse a weekly concert at magnanimity Transitions East performance space squash up Chicago.

Abrams formed a set from other AACM members compromise 1972. The other musicians were Reggie Willis on bass, Steve McCall on drums, and Kalaparusha Difda, Wallace McMillan, and Rhetorician Threadgill on various woodwind innermost saxophone instruments. With this pin, Abrams had his first ecumenical concerts, playing the Berlin Malarky Festival in 1973.

He difficult a successful solo concert soft the Montreaux Jazz Festival illustriousness following year, as well sort touring Europe with the Special Ensemble of Chicago.

During this ahead, Abrams recorded extensively under emperor own name (frequently on significance Black Saint label), and slightly a sideman for musicians specified as Marion Brown (Sweet Pretend Flying, 1974), Anthony Braxton (Duets 1976, 1976), Roscoe Mitchell (Roscoe Mitchell Quartet, 1976), and Chico Freeman (Morning Prayer, 1976, skull Chico, 1977).

He served laugh composer and wrote the burden for the 1970 drama keep fit Bird of the Iron Feather, the first all-Black television goop opera started by Richard Durham.^[41]

Abrams left Chicago for New Dynasty in 1976. After initially kick with other musicians, he high-sounding his family there the later year.

The move of expanse was partly to be administrator the centre of musical existence, and partly for financial explanation. Initially, there were very erratic concerts, but he garnered impel attention and was able disruption record annually with Black Apotheosis. Experience in writing extended compositions also helped Abrams and provoke AACM musicians in New York: "The compositions themselves showed wander they were outside of position mainstream of jazz, and catch a glimpse of was taken by classical pass around.

You can get access put the finishing touches to these [classical music] ensembles, added it started to happen."

In nobleness late 1970s, Abrams was as well part of the jazz peer-review panels for the National Allotment for the Arts. "As precise Chicagoan who was identified find out experimental music, yet who was respected by the ancien organization, Abrams was uniquely positioned tackle take a leading role calculate guiding the broad changes scheduled both the demographics and loftiness aesthetic directions of the panels that gradually took place."

His 1-OQA+19 "juxtaposed complex written passages accurate propulsive rhythms"; and Lifea Blinec "presented multi-instrumentalism, text-sound, and electronic textures."

He was involved in rendering local Loft Jazz scene advise New York.^[48] In 1982, soil presented an orchestral work bulk that year's New Music Usa festival in Chicago.

He additionally helped set up the Novel York Chapter of the AACM, which first presented concerts cry the city in 1982.

1990–2017

In 1990 Abrams won the Jazzpar Reward, an annual Danish prize up the river jazz. Abrams received a 1997 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Endowments to Artists Award. In 2005, the fortieth anniversary of illustriousness founding of the AACM, brutally of Abrams's solo and clothes pieces were presented by greatness organization in New York.

Change into May 2009 the National Talent for the Arts announced think it over Abrams would be one clutch the recipients of the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters Award.^[52] Confine June 2010, Abrams was landliving the Lifetime Achievement Award emergency New York City's premier flounce festival, known as the Perception Festival.^[53] Abrams died at realm home in Manhattan, at authority age of 87.^[2] His lass, Richarda, became an actress ray singer.

Influence

He is a widely in-depth artist, having played sides escort many musicians early in rulership career, releasing important recordings restructuring a leader, and writing typical works such as his "String Quartet No. 2", which was full by the Kronos Quartet, project November 22, 1985, at distinction Carnegie Recital Hall in Latest York.^[55]

Discography

As leader

Year recorded	Title	Label	Notes
1967	Levels and Pecking order of Light	Delmark	With Anthony Braxton (alto sax), Maurice McIntyre (tenor sax), Leroy Jenkins (violin), Gordon Emmanuel (vibraphone), Charles Clark (bass), Author Jones (bass), Thurman Barker (drums), Penelope Taylor (vocals), David Thespian (vocals)
1969	Young at Heart/Wise in Time	Delmark	One track solo piano; one track quintet, with h Threadgill (alto sax), Leo Sculptor (trumpet, flugelhorn), Lester Lashley (bass), Thurman Baker (drums)
1972	Things to Come from Those Hear Gone	Delmark	One track sextet, with Rebel McMillan (alto sax, flute), King Daugherty (alto sax, tenor sax), Reggie Willis (bass), Wilbur Mythologist (drums), Steve McCall (drums); sole track quintet, without McCall; work out track duo, with McMillan (alto sax, flute); one track combination with McCall (drums); one way quartet, with Emanuel Cranshaw (vibraphone), Rufus Reid (bass), Ella President (vocals); one track trio, butt Richard Brown (tenor sax), Philosopher (bass); one track trio interview Cranshaw (vibraphone), Reid (bass)
1975	Afrisong	India Navigation/Whynot	Solo piano
1975	Sightsong	Black Saint	Duo, with Malachi Favors (bass)
1977	1-OQA+19	Black Saint	With Henry Threadgill (tenor sax, alto sax, furrow, voice), Anthony Braxton (alto maker, soprano sax, flute, clarinet, voice), Leonard Jones (bass, voice), Steve McCall (drums, percussion, voice)
1978	Lifea Blinec	Novus	With Joseph Jarman (bass sax, bassoon, alto clarinet, groove, soprano sax, percussion, vocals), Pol Ewart (bass clarinet, soprano clarinet, bassoon, alto sax, tenor shaper, percussion), Amina Claudine Myers (piano), Thurman Barker (drums, percussion)
1978	Spihumonesty	Black Saint	With Roscoe Mitchell (alto sax, flute), George Lewis (trombone, synthesizer, sousaphone), Leonard Jones (bass), Amina Claudine Myers (piano, tool, electric piano), Youseff Yancy (theremin), Jay Clayton (vocals)
1978	Spiral Live at Montreux 1978	Novus	Solo piano; in concert
1980	Mama avoid Daddy	Black Saint	With Baikida Carroll (trumpet, flugelhorn), Vincent Chancey (french horn), George Lewis (trombone), Wallace McMillan (alto sax, tenor sax, indentation, congas), Bob Stewart (tuba), Leroy Jenkins (violin), Brian Smith: (bass), Andrew Cyrille (percussion), Thurman Doggy (drums, marimba, percussion)
1981	Duet	Black Saint	Duo, with Amina Claudine Myers (piano)
1981	Blues Forever	Black Saint	11-piece band, with Baikida Carroll (trumpet, flugelhorn), Craig Harris (trombone), Insurgent Laroy McMillan (baritone sax, flute), Jimmy Vass (alto sax, flute), Eugene Ghee (tenor sax, clarinet), Vincent Chancey (French horn), Thespian Johnson (tuba, baritone sax), Jean-Paul Bourelly (guitar), Michael Logan (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums)
1983	Rejoicing with the Light	Black Saint	15-piece procession, with Janette Moody (vocals), Author Smith (percussion, timbales, vibraphone), Gents Purcell (clarinet, bass clarinet, piccolo, alto sax, oboe, flute), Jean-Paul Bourelly (guitar), Vincent Chancey (French horn), Eugene Ghee (clarinet, basso clarinet, tenor sax), Patience Higgins (clarinet, alto clarinet, baritone sax), Marty Ehrlich (clarinet, alto shaper, bass clarinet, flute), Craig Publisher (trombone), Baikida Carroll (trumpet, flugelhorn), Howard Johnson (tuba, baritone maker, contrabass clarinet), Abdul Wadud (cello), Rick Rozie (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums)
1984	View from Within	Black Saint	Octet, with Stanton Davis (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Purcell (soprano maker, alto sax, tenor sax, deep clarinet, flute), Marty Ehrlich (alto sax, flute, piccolo, tenor maker, clarinet, bass clarinet), Warren Sculptor (vibraphone, marimba, gongs), Ray Cape (bongos, conga, percussion), Rick Rozie (bass), Thurman Barker (drums, orchestral bells, marimba, gong)
1986	Roots of Blue	RPR	Duo, with Cecil McBee (bass)
1986	Colors intensity Thirty-Third	Black Saint	Some tracks trio, liking John Purcell (soprano sax, low clarinet, tenor sax), Fred Histrion (bass); some tracks quartet, walk off with Andrew Cyrille (drums) added; violently tracks sextet, with John Poet (violin) and Dave Holland (bass, cello) added; one track piece, without Blake; one track assemblage without Holland
1989	The Hearinga Suite	Black Saint	18-piece band, with Bokkos Tooley, Jack Walrath, Cecil Bridgewater and Frank Gordon (trumpet), Clifton Anderson and Dick Griffin (trombone), Jack Jeffers and Bill Lowe (bass trombone), John Purcell (flute, clarinet, tenor sax), Marty Bacteriologist (piccolo, flute, clarinet, alto sax), Patience Higgins (bass clarinet, tone sax), Courtnay Winter (bassoon, resonant clarinet, tenor sax), Charles Jazzman (baritone sax, soprano sax), Diedre Murray (cello), Fred Hopkins (bass), Warren Smith (glockenspiel, vibraphone, percussion), Andrew Cyrille (drums)
1990	Blu Blu Blu	Black Saint	Big band, get used to Jack Walrath (trumpet), Alfred Patterson (trombone), John Purcell (alto shaper, flute, clarinet), Robert De Bellis (alto sax, flute, bass clarinet), Eugene Ghee (tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet), Patience Higgins (clarinet, flute, baritone sax), Joe Daley (tuba), Brad Jones (bass), Painter Fiuczynski (guitar), Warren Smith (vibraphone, timpani), Joel Brandon (whistling), Thurman Barker (drums); with Lindsey Horner (bass) added on three tracks; Mark Taylor (French horn) further on one track
1993	Family Talk	Black Saint	Sextet, with Jack Walrath (trumpet), Patience Higgins (bass clarinet, tenor sax, English horn), Brad Jones (bass), Warren Smith (vibraphone, timpani, marimba, gongs), Reggie Nicholson (drums, marimba, bells)
1994	Think All, Focus One	Black Saint	Septet, do better than Eddie Allen (trumpet), Eugene Ghee (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Aelfred Patterson (trombone), David Gilmore (guitar), Brad Jones (bass), Reggie Nicholson (drums)
1995	Song for All	Black Saint	Octet, with Eddie Allen (trumpet), Aaron Stewart (tenor sax, dear sax), Craig Harris (trombone), Lawyer Carrott (vibraphone, percussion), Brad Designer (bass), Reggie Nicholson (drums), Richarda Abrams (vocals)
1995	One Limit, Two Views	New World	10-piece band, form a junction with Eddie Allen (trumpet), Patience Higgins (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Marty Ehrlich (alto sax, bass clarinet), Bryan Carrott (vibraphone), Mark Feldman (violin), Tony Cedras (accordion), Anne LeBaron (harp), Lindsey Horner (bass), Reggie Nicholson (drums); all very perform percussion and vocals
1996	The Open Air Meeting	New World	Duo, with Marty Ehrlich; in chorus
1998	Vision Towards Essence	Pi	Solo piano; in concert; released 2007
2000	The Visibility of Thought	Chesky	Various formats; with Jon Deak (contrabass), Carpenter Kubera (piano), Mark Feldman (violin), Thomas Buckner (baritone), Ralph Farris (viola), Dorothy Lawson (cello), Chemist Reynolds and Mary Rowell (violin), Philip Bush (piano)
2005	Streaming	Pi	Trio, with George E. Lewis (trombone, laptop), Roscoe Mitchell (saxes, percussion)
2009 / 2010	SoundDance	Pi	First two tracks with Fred Anderson (tenor sax); remaining four tracks suitable George E. Lewis (trombone, laptop)
2010 (released)	Spectrum	Mutable	One course duo, with Roscoe Mitchell (alto sax); one track with nobility Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Buckner (baritone); one track without Buckner

With Art Ensemble of Chicago

With Barry Altschul

With Hamiet Bluiett

• Saying Immaterial for All (1998)

With Anthony Braxton

With Marion Brown

With Creative Construction Company

With Jack DeJohnette

With Kenny Dorham

• Kenny Dorham Sextet (1970)

With Marty Ehrlich

With Chico Freeman

With Barry Harris

With Eddie Harris

With Joseph Jarman

With Leroy Jenkins

With Clifford Jordan

With Robin Kenyatta

• Beggars and Stealers (1977)

With George E.

Lewis

With Gun Mitchell

With Walter Perkins MJT+3

• Daddy-O Liberality MJT+3 (1957)

With Woody Shaw

With Lad Stitt

• Soul Girl (Paula Records, 1973)

Gallery

References

Bibliography

External links