Muhal Richard Abrams

Muhal Richard Abrams was born in Chicago
in 1930. He is a pianist, composer, and co-founder of AACM, the influential Chicago-based free-jazz Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. The self-taught musician has performed with Max Roach, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Clifford Jordan, Ari Brown, Sonny Stitt, George Lewis, James Moody, Anthony Braxton, Eddie Harris, and Mwata Bowden, among others.

He has taught jazz composition and improvisational classes at the Banff Center, Columbia University, Syracuse University, and the BMI Composers workshop. In 1961, he formed the Experimental Band with Eddie Harris, Donald Garrett, Victor Sproles, and Roscoe Mitchell. The band, a gathering of Chicago's foremost innovative improvisers led to the beginnings of the AACM. In 1976, Abrams moved to New York City.

His piano style has a broad range: from traditional black music (ragtime, boogie-woogie, and stride) to bebop and free, abstract improvisation. The process of playing is often more important to him than the musical results. Among his notable compositions are Novi, for symphony orchestra and jazz quartet, and his String Quartet #2, which has been performed by the Kronos Quartet.