One of the
top saxophonists to come out of Chicago's AACM movement of the
mid-'60s, Roscoe Mitchell is a particularly strong and consistently
adventurous improviser long associated with the Art Ensemble
of Chicago. After getting out of the military, Mitchell led
a hard bop sextet in Chicago (1961) which gradually became much
freer.
He was
a member of Muhal Richard Abrams's Experimental Band and a founding
member of the AACM in 1965. Mitchell's monumental Sound album
(1966) introduced a new way of freely improvising, utilizing
silence as well as high energy and "little instruments" as well
as conventional horns. Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors were
on that date and Mitchell's 1967 follow-up Old/Quartet.
With the
addition of Joseph Jarman and Philip Wilson (who was later succeeded
by Famoudou Don Moye), the Art Ensemble of Chicago was born. The colorful
unit was one of the most popular groups in the jazz avant-garde
and Mitchell was an integral part of the band. Roscoe Mitchell
(who, in addition to his main horns, plays clarinet, flute,
piccolo, oboe, baritone and bass saxophones) also was involved
in individual projects through the years and has recorded as
a leader for Delmark, Nessa, Sackville, Moers Music, 1750 Arch,
Black Saint, Cecma and Silkheart in settings ranging from large
ensembles to unaccompanied solo concerts. -- Scott Yanow, All-Music
Guide
©1999
copyright All-Music
Guide, AEC One-stop Group, Inc.
