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{{short description|American nonprofit organization}}
{{Infobox organization
{{Infobox organization
| name = Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians
| name = Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians
Line 6: Line 7:
| merged =
| merged =
| successor =
| successor =
| formation = {{start date|1965|05|df=y}}
| formation = {{start date|1965|05}}
| founder = {{flatlist|
| founder = Muhal Richard Abrams, Jodie Christian, Steve McCall, Phil Cohran
* [[Muhal Richard Abrams]]
* [[Jodie Christian]]
* [[Steve McCall (drummer)|Steve McCall]]
* [[Phil Cohran]]}}
| extinction = <!-- e.g. use {{end date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| extinction = <!-- e.g. use {{end date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| merger =
| merger =
Line 36: Line 41:
| leader_name4 =
| leader_name4 =
| board_of_directors =
| board_of_directors =
| key_people = Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Jack DeJohnette
| key_people = {{flatlist|
* [[Henry Threadgill]]
* [[Anthony Braxton]]
* [[Roscoe Mitchell]]
* [[Jack DeJohnette]]}}
| main_organ =
| main_organ =
| parent_organization =
| parent_organization =
| subsidiaries =
| subsidiaries =
| affiliations = Black Artists' Group
| affiliations = [[Black Artists Group]]
| budget =
| budget =
| revenue =
| revenue =
| disbursements =
| disbursements =
| expenses =
| expenses =
| endowment = MacArthur Foundation
| endowment = [[MacArthur Foundation]]
| slogan =
| slogan =
| website = {{URL|aacmchicago.org}}
| website = {{URL|aacmchicago.org}}
}}
}}


The '''Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians''' ('''AACM''') is a [[non-profit organization]], founded in 1965 in Chicago by pianist [[Muhal Richard Abrams]], pianist [[Jodie Christian]], drummer [[Steve McCall (drummer)|Steve McCall]], and composer [[Phil Cohran]].<ref name="RCJE">{{Cite book| last = Cook| first = Richard| year = 2005| title = Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia| publisher = Penguin Books| location = London| isbn = 0-141-00646-3| page = 23}}</ref> The AACM is devoted "to nurturing, performing, and recording serious, original music," according to its charter. It supports and encourages [[jazz]] performers, composers and educators. Although founded in the jazz tradition, the group's outreach and influence has, according to Larry Blumenfeld, "touched nearly all corners of modern music."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/free-at-first-the-audacious-journey-of-the-association-for-the-advancement-of-creative-musicians-review-1429654559|title='Free at First: The Audacious Journey of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians' Review|author=Blumenfeld, Larry |date=April 21, 2015|work=Wall Street Journal}}</ref>
The '''Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians''' ('''AACM''') is a [[nonprofit organization]], founded in 1965 in Chicago by pianist [[Muhal Richard Abrams]], pianist [[Jodie Christian]], drummer [[Steve McCall (drummer)|Steve McCall]], and composer [[Phil Cohran]].<ref name="RCJE">{{Cite book| last = Cook| first = Richard| year = 2005| title = Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia| publisher = Penguin Books| location = London| isbn = 0-141-00646-3| page = 23}}</ref> The AACM is devoted "to nurturing, performing, and recording serious, original music," according to its charter. It supports and encourages [[jazz]] performers, composers and educators. Although founded in the jazz tradition, the group's outreach and influence has, according to Larry Blumenfeld, "touched nearly all corners of modern music."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/free-at-first-the-audacious-journey-of-the-association-for-the-advancement-of-creative-musicians-review-1429654559|title='Free at First: The Audacious Journey of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians' Review|author=Blumenfeld, Larry |date=April 21, 2015|work=Wall Street Journal}}</ref>


==Background==
==Background==
By the 1960s, jazz music was losing ground to rock music, and the founders of the AACM felt that a proactive group of musicians would add creativity and outlet for new music.<ref name=Reich>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/reich/ct-jazz-aacm-20150127-column.html|title=50th anniversary of AACM celebrated at DuSable Museum|author=Reich, Howard|date=January 27, 2015|work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> The AACM was formed in May 1965 by a group of musicians centered on [[pianist]] [[Muhal Richard Abrams]], who had organized an Experimental Band since 1962.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|volume=1|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=25}}</ref> The musicians were generally steadfast in their commitment to their music, despite a lack of performance venues and sometimes indifferent audiences. From 1969 the AACM organised a music education program for inner-city youths.<ref>{{cite book|author=Litweiler, John | title=The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958 | publisher=Da Capo | year=1984|isbn=0-306-80377-1}}</ref> In the 1960s and 1970s AACM members were among the most important and innovative in all of jazz, though the AACM's contemporary influence has waned some in recent years. Many AACM members have recorded widely: in the early days on the [[Delmark Records]] Avant Garde Jazz series and later on the [[Black Saint/Soul Note]] and [[India Navigation]] labels, and to a lesser extent on the [[Arista Records]] and [[ECM (record label)|ECM]] labels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.delmark.com/delmark.history.htm|title=Delmark History|work=delmark.com|access-date=2006-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409180602/http://delmark.com/delmark.history.htm|archive-date=2007-04-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>
By the 1960s, jazz music was losing ground to rock music, and the founders of the AACM felt that a proactive group of musicians would add creativity and outlet for new music.<ref name=Reich>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/reich/ct-jazz-aacm-20150127-column.html|title=50th anniversary of AACM celebrated at DuSable Museum|author=Reich, Howard|authorlink=Howard Reich|date=January 27, 2015|work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> The AACM was formed in May 1965 by a group of musicians centered on [[pianist]] [[Muhal Richard Abrams]], who had organized the Experimental Band since 1961.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Larkin, Colin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|volume=1|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=25}}</ref> The musicians were generally steadfast in their commitment to their music, despite a lack of performance venues and sometimes indifferent audiences. From 1969 the AACM organised a music education program for inner-city youths.<ref>{{cite book|author=Litweiler, John | title=The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958 | publisher=Da Capo | year=1984|isbn=0-306-80377-1}}</ref> In the 1960s and 1970s AACM members were among the most important and innovative in all of jazz, though the AACM's contemporary influence has waned some in recent years. Many AACM members have recorded widely: in the early days on the [[Delmark Records]] Avant Garde Jazz series and later on the [[Black Saint/Soul Note]] and [[India Navigation]] labels, and to a lesser extent on the [[Arista Records]] and [[ECM (record label)|ECM]] labels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.delmark.com/delmark.history.htm|title=Delmark History|work=delmark.com|access-date=2006-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409180602/http://delmark.com/delmark.history.htm|archive-date=2007-04-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>


The musical endeavors of members of the AACM often include an adventurous mixing of avant-garde jazz, classical, and world music. The AACM also ran a school, The AACM School of Music, with classes in all areas taught by members of the AACM. The AACM also had a strong relationship with an influential sister organization, the [[Black Artists' Group]] (BAG) of [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. The AACM has received aid from the [[MacArthur Foundation]] and has a strong relationship with [[Columbia College Chicago|Columbia College]]. ''A Power Stronger Than Itself: The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians'' by [[George E. Lewis]], has been published by the University of Chicago Press (May 2008).<ref name="nyt_2008">{{Cite news | first = Nate | last=Chinen | title=Four Decades of Music That Redefined Free | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=May 2, 2008 | access-date=June 7, 2012 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/arts/music/02aacm.html}}</ref>
The musical endeavors of members of the AACM often include an adventurous mixing of avant-garde jazz, classical, and world music. The AACM also ran a school, The AACM School of Music, with classes in all areas taught by members of the AACM. The AACM also had a strong relationship with an influential sister organization, the [[Black Artists Group]] (BAG) of [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. The AACM has received aid from the [[MacArthur Foundation]] and has a strong relationship with [[Columbia College Chicago|Columbia College]]. ''A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music'' by [[George E. Lewis]], has been published by the University of Chicago Press (May 2008).<ref name="nyt_2008">{{Cite news | first = Nate | last=Chinen | title=Four Decades of Music That Redefined Free | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=May 2, 2008 | access-date=June 7, 2012 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/arts/music/02aacm.html}}</ref>


In 2015, a 50-year retrospective exhibition of art, music and group-related artifacts, entitled, "Free at First", was held at the [[DuSable Museum of African American History]].<ref name=Reich/>
In 2015, a 50-year retrospective exhibition of art, music and group-related artifacts, entitled, "Free at First", was held at the [[DuSable Museum of African American History]].<ref name=Reich/>


==Music==
==Music==
The AACM has been on the forefront of the avant-garde since its inception in 1965. [[Anthony Braxton]], [[Henry Threadgill]], and the [[Art Ensemble of Chicago]] pushed the boundaries of jazz and challenged the avant-garde classical movement led by [[John Cage]]. Concerts were heavily improvised, and many AACM members created scores that blended music, geometry, painting, and ciphers to be interpreted by the performers live. The AACM was part of an artistic movement on the South Side of Chicago that included AFRICobra (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists) and other collectives.<ref>Lewis, George E.. "Improvised Music After 1950: Afrological and Eurological Perspectives".Black Music Research Journal 22 (2002): 215–246</ref>
The AACM has been on the forefront of the [[avant-garde]] since its inception in 1965. [[Anthony Braxton]], [[Henry Threadgill]], and the [[Art Ensemble of Chicago]] pushed the boundaries of jazz and challenged the avant-garde classical movement led by [[John Cage]]. Concerts were heavily improvised, and many AACM members created scores that blended music, geometry, painting, and ciphers to be interpreted by the performers live. The AACM was part of an artistic movement on the South Side of Chicago that included AFRICobra (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists) and other collectives.<ref>Lewis, George E.. "Improvised Music After 1950: Afrological and Eurological Perspectives".Black Music Research Journal 22 (2002): 215–246</ref>


== Members ==
== Members ==
(largely complete through at least 2015) <ref name=AACM-TShirt-2015>>{{citation | publisher=AACM| date=2015| title=AACM Members 1965 -2015 [T shirt]}}</ref> <!-- Of the names alreadly listed here before today's expansion, these did not appear on the T-shirt: Jack DeJohnette [who actually never was a member], JoVia Armstrong, Matana Roberts, Adam Zanolini. I used the "interlanguage link" template to the German-language ("de") Wikipedia, which has articles on many jazz musicians who are missing from the English-language Wikipedia. 2022-11-16 ACWilson9 -->
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Edwin Daugherty]]
* [[Muhal Richard Abrams]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Muhal Richard Abrams]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Peggy Abrams]]
* [[Fred Anderson (musician)|Fred Anderson]]
* [[JoVia Armstrong]]
* [[Soji Adebayo]]
* [[Harrison Bankhead]]
* [[Willel Afi-Fi]]
* [[Thurman Barker]]
* [[Ajaramu Joseph Shelton]]
* [[Mwata Bowden]]
* [[Dee Alexander]]
* [[Lester Bowie]]
* [[Martin Alexander]]
* [[Fred Anderson (musician)|Frederick "Fred" Anderson]]
* [[Leon Q. Allen]]
* [[Khari B]]
* [[JoVia Armstrong]]<ref name=AACMmembersPage-2022>{{cite web| publisher=AACM| title=AACM members have been important innovators and influencers since 1965.| url=https://www.aacmchicago.org/members| accessdate=2022-11-16| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403155434/https://www.aacmchicago.org/members| archive-date=2022-04-03}}</ref>
* [[Harrison Bankhead]]
* [[Renee Baker]]
* [[Thurman Barker]]
* [[Fred Berry]]
* [[Stephen E. Berry|Stephen E. "Steve" Berry]]
* [[Felix Blackmon]]
* [[Mwata Bowden]]
* [[Byron Bowie]]
* [[Lester Bowie]]
* [[Joel Brandon]]
* [[Anthony Braxton]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Anthony Braxton]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[William Brimfield|William "Billy" Brimfield]]
* [[Ari Brown]]
* [[Ari Brown]]
* [[Yosef Ben Israel]] <br> {{interlanguage link|Art Turk Burton|lt=Arthur "Art Turk" Burton|de}}
* [[Ken Chaney]]
* [[Jodie Christian]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Jodie Christian]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Charles Clark (musician)|Charles Clark]]
* [[Charles Clark (musician)|Charles Clark]]
* Chet
* [[Phil Cohran]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Charles Wes Cochran]]
* [[Phil Cohran|Phil Kelan Cohran]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Adegoke Steve Colson]]
* [[Adegoke Steve Colson]]
* [[Iqua Colson]]
* [[Iqua Colson]]
* [[Pete Cosey]]
* [[Pete Cosey]]
* [[Ernest Dawkins]]
* [[Gordon Emmanuel Cranshaw]]
* [[Jerome Croswell]]
* [[Jack DeJohnette]]<ref name="Kelsey">{{cite web |last1=Kelsey |first1=Chris |title=The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-association-for-the-advancement-of-creative-musicians-mn0001286033/biography |website=AllMusic |access-date=26 June 2018}}</ref>
* [[Coco Elysses (Wallace)]]
* [[Michael Danzy]]
* [[Kahil El'Zabar]]
* [[Edwin Daugherty]]
* [[Douglas Ewart]]
* [[Rahmlee Michael Davis]]
* {{interlanguage link|Vincent Davis (musician)|lt=Vincent Davis|de|Vincent Davis}}
* [[Malachi Favors]]
* [[Ernest Dawkins|Ernest Khabeer Dawkins]]
* [[Art Turk Burton]]
* [[Alvin Fielder]]
* [[Justin Dillard]]
* [[Gene Dinwiddie|Eugene "Gene" Dinwiddie]]
* [[Chico Freeman]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Drahseer Khalid]]
* Vandy Harris<ref name="Kelsey" />
* [[Fred Hopkins]]
* [[Sura Ramses Dupart]]
* [[Ed House]]
* [[Eugene Easton]]
* {{interlanguage link|Jimmy Ellis (musician)|lt=Jimmy Ellis|de|Jimmy Ellis (Musiker)}}
* [[Joseph Jarman]]
* [[Coco Elysses]]
* [[Kahil El'Zabar]]
* [[Douglas Ewart|Douglas R. Ewart]]
* [[Malachi Favors|Malachi Favors Maghostut]]
* [[Alvin Fielder]]
* [[Benjamin Ford (musician)|Benjamin Ford]]
* [[Chico Freeman|Earl "Chico" Freeman]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Christopher Gaddy]]
* Steven Galloway
* [[Sarnie Garrett]]
* {{interlanguage link|Ben LaMar Gay|de}}
* [[Aaron Getsug]]
* [[Frank Gordon (musician)|Frank Gordon]]
* [[Aquilla Graves]]
* [[Robert U. Griffin]]
* [[Vandy Harris]]<ref name="Kelsey">{{cite web |last1=Kelsey |first1=Chris |authorlink=Chris Kelsey |title=The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-association-for-the-advancement-of-creative-musicians-mn0001286033/biography |website=AllMusic |access-date=26 June 2018}}</ref>
* [[Walter Henderson (musician)|Walter Henderson]]
* [[Tony Herrera]]
* [[Fred Hopkins|Frederic J. "Fred" Hopkins]]
* [[Ed House|Edward "Ed" House]]
* [[Billy Howell]]
* {{interlanguage link|Light Henry Huff|de}}
* [[Maia Hupert Harper|"Maia" Sonjia Hupert Harper]]
* [[Fred Jackson (saxophonist)|Frederick "Fred" Jackson]]
* [[Ike Jackson|Isaiah "Ike" Jackson]]
* [[John Shenoy Jackson]]
* [[Joseph Jarman|Shaku Joseph Jarman]]
* [[Leroy Jenkins (jazz musician)|Leroy Jenkins]]
* [[Leroy Jenkins (jazz musician)|Leroy Jenkins]]
* [[James Johnson (jazz musician)|James Johnson]]
* [[George E. Lewis]]
* [[Shaun Johnson (trumpeter)|Shaun Johnson]]
* [[Maia/Sonjia Hubert Harper]]
* {{interlanguage link|Leonard Jones (musician)|lt=Leonard E. Jones|de|Leonard Jones (Bassist)|nl|Leonard Jones}}
* [[Steve McCall (drummer)|Steve McCall]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Kidd Jordan|Edward "Kidd" Jordan]]
* [[Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre]]
* [[Buford Kirkwood]]
* [[Nicole Mitchell (musician)|Nicole Mitchell]]<ref name="nyt_2008"/>
* [[Janis Lane-Ewart]]
* [[Lester Lashley]]
* [[Sandra Lashley]]
* [[George E. Lewis]]
* [[Evod Magek]]
* [[Steve McCall (drummer)|Steven "Steve" McCall, IV]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre|Kalapurasha Ahrah Difdah/Maurice McIntyre]]
* [[Wallace Laroy McMillan]]
* [[Nicole Mitchell (musician)|Nicole "Niki" Mitchell]]<ref name="nyt_2008"/>
* [[Roscoe Mitchell]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* [[Roscoe Mitchell]]<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
* {{interlanguage link|Bernard Mixon|de}}
* [[Dushun Mosley]]
* {{interlanguage link|Dushun Mosley|de}}
* [[Don Moye]]
* [[Amina Claudine Myers]]
* [[Don Moye|Famadou Don Moye]]
* [[Reggie Nicholson]]
* [[Ameen Muhammed]]
* [[Shanta Nurullah]]
* [[Amina Claudine Myers]]
* [[Reggie Nicholson]]
* [[Jeff Parker (musician)|Jeff Parker]]
* [[Eddie Noble, Jr.|Eddie "Gip" Noble, Jr.]]
* [[Junius Paul]]
* [[Seitu Nurullah|Seitu "Rah Bird" Nurullah]]
* [[Avreeayl Ra]]<ref name="Ra">{{cite web| publisher=[[All About Jazz]]| title=Avreeayl Ra| url=https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/avreeaylra| access-date=2020-11-01}}</ref>
* {{interlanguage link|Shanta Nurullah|de}}
* [[Mike Reed (musician)|Mike Reed]]<ref name="Reed">[http://www.mikereed-music.com/about Bio] at Mike Reed website.</ref>
* {{interlanguage link|Norman Palm|de}}
* [[Tomeka Reid]]
* [[Jeff Parker (musician)|Jeff Parker]]
* {{interlanguage link|Junius Paul|de}}
* [[John Powell (jazz musician)|John Powell]]
* [[Carlos Pride]]
* Amen Ra
* {{interlanguage link|Avreeayl Ra|de}}<ref name="Ra">{{cite web| publisher=[[All About Jazz]]| title=Avreeayl Ra| url=https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/avreeaylra| access-date=2020-11-01}}</ref>
* [[Mike Reed (musician)|Michael "Mike" Reed]]<ref name="Reed">[http://www.mikereed-music.com/about Bio] at Mike Reed website.</ref>
* [[Tomeka Reid]]
* [[Matana Roberts]]
* [[Matana Roberts]]
* [[Troy Robinson (musician)|Troy Robinson]]
* [[Rasul Siddik]]
* [[Wadada Leo Smith]]
* [[Bata Rutlin]]
* [[Henry Threadgill]]
* [[Sherry Scott]]
* [[Sar Abshalom Ben Sholamo]]
* Ann E. Ward
* [[Rasul Siddik|Rasul Siddik/Sadik]]
* [[Wadada Leo Smith]]
* {{interlanguage link|Isaiah Spencer|de}}
* [[John Stubblefield]]
* [[Hanah Jon Taylor]]
* [[Henry Threadgill]]
* [[Malachi Thompson]]
* [[Umchaka Uba]]
* [[Frank Walton (musician)|Frank Walton]]
* [[Ann E. Ward]]
* [[Rita Warford]]
* [[Rita Warford]]
* [[Edward Wilkerson]]
* [[Jesus Wayne]]
* [[Edward Wilkerson|Edward Wilkerson, Jr.]]
* {{interlanguage link|Corey Wilkes|de}}
* [[Jose Williams]]
* [[Reggie Willis]]
* [[Jonathan Woods]]<ref name=AACMmembersPage-2022/>
* [[Adam Zanolini]]<ref name=AACMmembersPage-2022/>
* [[Sabu Zawadi]]
* [[Saalik Ahmad Ziyad]]
* [[Taalib-Din Ziyad]]
* [[Taalib-Din Ziyad]]
* [[Saalik Ahmad Ziyad]]
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


Line 125: Line 214:


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Lewis |first=George E. |title=A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=2008 |isbn=0226477037}}
* {{cite book |last=Lewis |first=George E. |title=A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=2008 |isbn=978-0226477039}}
* Reich, Howard. "Revolution in sound". ''Chicago Tribune''. March 1, 2015, section 4, page 1.
* [[Howard Reich|Reich, Howard]]. "Revolution in sound". ''Chicago Tribune''. March 1, 2015, section 4, page 1.
* Kot, Greg. "AACM's spirit endures in underground rock". ''Chicago Tribune''. March 1, 2015, section 4, page 1.
* {{cite news| authorlink=Greg Kot|author=Kot, Greg| title=AACM's spirit endures in underground rock| publisher=Chicago Tribune| date=February 27, 2015| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-aacm-rock-20150227-story.html| accessdate=2022-11-20}}<!-- paper edition: March 1, 2015, section 4, page 1. -->


==External links==
==External links==
Line 138: Line 227:
[[Category:Jazz organizations]]
[[Category:Jazz organizations]]
[[Category:Arts organizations established in 1965]]
[[Category:Arts organizations established in 1965]]
[[Category:Arts organizations based in Illinois]]

Latest revision as of 20:03, 2 August 2024

Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians
AbbreviationAACM
PredecessorExperimental Band
FormationMay 1965 (1965-05)
Founder
TypeNon-profit organization
PurposeSupport and encourage jazz performers, composers and educators
Location
  • Chicago, Illinois
Region
U.S.
Official language
English
Key people
AffiliationsBlack Artists Group
EndowmentMacArthur Foundation
Websiteaacmchicago.org

The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1965 in Chicago by pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, pianist Jodie Christian, drummer Steve McCall, and composer Phil Cohran.[1] The AACM is devoted "to nurturing, performing, and recording serious, original music," according to its charter. It supports and encourages jazz performers, composers and educators. Although founded in the jazz tradition, the group's outreach and influence has, according to Larry Blumenfeld, "touched nearly all corners of modern music."[2]

Background

[edit]

By the 1960s, jazz music was losing ground to rock music, and the founders of the AACM felt that a proactive group of musicians would add creativity and outlet for new music.[3] The AACM was formed in May 1965 by a group of musicians centered on pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, who had organized the Experimental Band since 1961.[4] The musicians were generally steadfast in their commitment to their music, despite a lack of performance venues and sometimes indifferent audiences. From 1969 the AACM organised a music education program for inner-city youths.[5] In the 1960s and 1970s AACM members were among the most important and innovative in all of jazz, though the AACM's contemporary influence has waned some in recent years. Many AACM members have recorded widely: in the early days on the Delmark Records Avant Garde Jazz series and later on the Black Saint/Soul Note and India Navigation labels, and to a lesser extent on the Arista Records and ECM labels.[6]

The musical endeavors of members of the AACM often include an adventurous mixing of avant-garde jazz, classical, and world music. The AACM also ran a school, The AACM School of Music, with classes in all areas taught by members of the AACM. The AACM also had a strong relationship with an influential sister organization, the Black Artists Group (BAG) of St. Louis, Missouri. The AACM has received aid from the MacArthur Foundation and has a strong relationship with Columbia College. A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music by George E. Lewis, has been published by the University of Chicago Press (May 2008).[7]

In 2015, a 50-year retrospective exhibition of art, music and group-related artifacts, entitled, "Free at First", was held at the DuSable Museum of African American History.[3]

Music

[edit]

The AACM has been on the forefront of the avant-garde since its inception in 1965. Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago pushed the boundaries of jazz and challenged the avant-garde classical movement led by John Cage. Concerts were heavily improvised, and many AACM members created scores that blended music, geometry, painting, and ciphers to be interpreted by the performers live. The AACM was part of an artistic movement on the South Side of Chicago that included AFRICobra (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists) and other collectives.[8]

Members

[edit]

(largely complete through at least 2015) [9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cook, Richard (2005). Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia. London: Penguin Books. p. 23. ISBN 0-141-00646-3.
  2. ^ Blumenfeld, Larry (April 21, 2015). "'Free at First: The Audacious Journey of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians' Review". Wall Street Journal.
  3. ^ a b Reich, Howard (January 27, 2015). "50th anniversary of AACM celebrated at DuSable Museum". Chicago Tribune.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Larkin, Colin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1 (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  5. ^ Litweiler, John (1984). The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958. Da Capo. ISBN 0-306-80377-1.
  6. ^ "Delmark History". delmark.com. Archived from the original on 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2006-10-31.
  7. ^ a b Chinen, Nate (May 2, 2008). "Four Decades of Music That Redefined Free". The New York Times. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  8. ^ Lewis, George E.. "Improvised Music After 1950: Afrological and Eurological Perspectives".Black Music Research Journal 22 (2002): 215–246
  9. ^ >AACM Members 1965 -2015 [T shirt], AACM, 2015
  10. ^ a b c "AACM members have been important innovators and influencers since 1965". AACM. Archived from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  11. ^ Kelsey, Chris. "The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Avreeayl Ra". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  13. ^ Bio at Mike Reed website.

Further reading

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