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Muhal Richard Abrams
Muhal Richard Abrams has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scenefor well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of TheAssociation for the Advancement of Creative Musicians(AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music andPresident of The Association for the Advancement ofCreative Musicians, New York City Chapter. Muhal was thefirst recipient of the grand international jazz award, "TheJazzPar Prize", which was awarded to him in 1990 by theDanish Jazz Center in Copenhagen, Denmark.. In 1999Muhal was presented a proclamation by Richard M. Daley,Mayor of the City of Chicago, declaring April 11, 1999 asMuhal Richard Abrams Day in Chicago.
Except for a brief period of study at Chicago MusicalCollege and Governors State University in Chicago, Illinoiswhere he studied electronic music, Mr. Abrams ispredominately a self-taught musician who, as a result ofmany years of observation, analysis, and practice as aperforming musician, has developed a highly respectedcommand of a variety of musical styles both as a pianistand composer. The versatile Mr. Abrams and members ofThe AACM are responsible for some of the most originalnew music approaches of the last three decades.
Some recent compositions of Mr. Abrams are:Transversion I OP. 6 for Symphony Orchestra, “NOVI” ForSymphony Orchestra and Jazz Quartet, Variations for SoloSaxophone, Flute, and Chamber Orchestra, commissionedby the City of Chicago for the 1982 New Music AmericaFestival; Quintet for Voice (Soprano), Piano, Harp, Cello,and Violin, commissioned by The Kitchen and performed atSymphony Space in April, 1982; Improvisation Structures I-II-III-IV-V-VI performed in a series of six solo pianoconcerts for the 1983 New York State New Music NetworkTour; TRIO,” a three-part composition for solo piano,performed at the New Music America Festival in 1984 inHartford, Conn. July, 1984, and hosted by Real Artways;“Odyssey of King” performed by The Brooklyn PhilharmonicChamber Orchestra at Brooklyn's Botanical Garden,February, 1984 and “Celebrate Brooklyn” at the ProspectPark Bandshell, Brooklyn, New York on June 23, 1984;“String Quartet #2” was performed by The Kronos StringQuartet on November 22, 1985 at Carnegie Recital Hall inNew York City; “Piano Duet #1” performed by UrsulaOppens and Frederic Rzewski for Music at the Crossroadson February 11, 1986, and sponsored by The Philip MorrisCo. at the Whitney Museum; “Saturation Blue” performed onMarch 14, 1986, by The Brooklyn Philharmonic OrchestraChamber Ensemble at Freeport High School, Freeport, NY,Tania Leon, Conductor; “Folk Tales 88'” commissioned byThe Brooklyn Philharmonic and performed by The BrooklynPhilharmonic Orchestra at Fort Hamilton Base, Brooklyn,NY on July 9, 1988, Tania Leon, Conductor; “Transversion IOP. 6” performed February 22 & 23, 1991 by The DetroitSymphony Orchestra at the Unisys Corporation ClassicalRoots series in Detroit, Michigan; “What A Man”commissioned for the Black Repertory Ensemble by theCenter for Black Music Research, Columbia CollegeChicago and the Friends of the Chicago Public Library inhonor of the Late Mayor Harold Washington and tocommemorate the opening of The Harold WashingtonLibrary on October 7, 1991; “The String Quartet III”commissioned by Bang On The Can and performed by TheCassatt String Quartet in May, 1992; "Strings and Things"commissioned by The String Trio of
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Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM
by Angelo Leonardi
Sound Experiments—The Music of the AACM Paul Steinbeck 272 Pagine ISBN: # 978-0-226-820095 The University of Chicago Press 2022 Fondata a Chicago nel 1965 su impulso di Muhal Richard Abrams, l'AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) è giunta alla quarta generazione di musicisti e resta l'organizzazione collettiva più influente del jazz e della musica sperimentale. La chiusura etnocentrica del mondo accademico rispetto a ciò che accade oltre ...
Continue ReadingThe Black Saint And Soul Note Labels
by Jerome Wilson
Since 1975, the Black Saint and Soul Note record labels have been a major force in documenting the growth of American avant-garde jazz. This program samples two hours of music from their diverse catalog. It includes work from artists who had long associations with the labels such as Muhal Richard Abrams and David Murray as well as those who just had a few releases there such as Odean Pope and Phillip Johnston. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't ...
Continue ReadingMuhal Richard Abrams Quintet al Teatro Manzoni di Milano
by Paolo Peviani
Aperitivo in Concerto Teatro Manzoni Milano 31.01.2016 Il programma della stagione 2015-2016 di Aperitivo in Concerto era, come sempre, ricco di proposte e musicisti interessanti. Un nome, però, svettava nettamente su tutti gli altri. Quello di Muhal Richard Abrams. Per la sua storia (ricordiamo che il pianista è stato tra i fondatori dell'AACM), perché erano diversi anni che il nostro non suonava a Milano, e perché era alla testa di uno splendido ...
Continue ReadingMuhal Richard Abrams / Roscoe Mitchell: Spectrum
by Kurt Gottschalk
Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell are arguably the two figures most central to the birth and rearing of the seminal '60s collective the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). The organization was borne out of Abrams' Experimental Band and the first standing group to emerge from it was the Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble (later rechristened the Art Ensemble of Chicago). It seems a bit strange, then, that their careers have run such separate, while nearly parallel, paths. ...
Continue ReadingMuhal Richard Abrams: Vision Towards Essence
by Martin Longley
This is a live solo piano set from 1998's Guelph Jazz Festival, in Canada. Chicagoan-cum-New York pianist Muhal Richard Abrams performs the album's title piece, which is around an hour long and is divided into three parts. Ultimately, there are only the tiniest breaks in this improvisation and these demarcations only exist for listening convenience. Once Abrams begins, he's off on a journey that's so organized that it appears to possess the discipline of a premeditated composition. He views this ...
Continue ReadingMuhal Richard Abrams: The Advancement of Creative Music
by AAJ Staff
By Ted Panken At a certain point in the mid-1960s--the exact date escapes him--pianist/composer Muhal Richard Abrams, a lifelong resident of the South Side of Chicago, visited New York for the first time on a gig with saxophonist Eddie Harris at Harlem's Club Barron. “New York suited my energy, Abrams recalled. “Of course. But I was already in that sort of energy. I had no doubt that I could be in New York. No doubt at all. ...
Continue ReadingMuhal Richard Abrams / George Lewis / Roscoe Mitchell: Streaming
by Mark Corroto
To paraphrase Jack Nicholson from the 1997 film As Good As It Gets, this recording “...makes me want to be a better listener. Impeccably recorded, Streaming brings together (once again) three AACM giants for an hour of open (their word) improvisation.
Like Stephen Hawkins has done with casual conversation, artists Muhal Richard Abrams, George Lewis, and Roscoe Mitchell have long since abandoned music--for sound. That is not to say that for these artists, or the act of creating ...
Continue ReadingJazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today!
Muhal Richard Abrams..... World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter. Muhal was the first recipient of the grand international jazz award, ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today!
Muhal Richard Abrams..... World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter. Muhal was the first recipient of the grand international jazz award, ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today!
Muhal Richard Abrams..... World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter. Muhal was the first recipient of the grand international jazz award, ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today!
Muhal Richard Abrams..... World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget on your ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today!
Muhal Richard Abrams..... World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter... Read more.
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Muhal Richard Abrams, RIP
Source:
Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
The Chicago avant-garde jazz patriarch Muhal Richard Abrams died today at 87. Named a National Endowment of The Arts Jazz Master in 2010, the pianist, composer and bandleader was at the center of Chicago’s free jazz movement, which was formalized in 1965 when he co-founded the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. The Art Ensemble of Chicago became the best-known group that grew out of the AACM. Freedom and unfettered imagination were the hallmarks of Mr. Abrams’ piano improvisation, ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today!
Muhal Richard Abrams..... World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget on your ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today!
Muhal Richard Abrams..... World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget on your ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Muhal Richard Abrams
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Muhal Richard Abrams' birthday today! Muhal Richard Abrams World renowned pianist and composer has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and President of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter... Read more. Place our Musician of the Day widget on your ...
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Chicago Jazz Fest Full Lineup For September 3-6, 2015 Program
Source:
Fully Altered Media
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is pleased to announce the 37th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. The festival will take place in Millennium Park and at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington Street), September 3-6, showcasing the very best of jazz music from noon to 9:30pm daily. Additionally, the festival is partnering once again with Pianoforte Foundation for a three-concert series to kick off Festival Week. The five–concert Neighborhood Nights series line-up will be announced ...
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