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Art Ensemble of Chicago

Musical Group
Foradventurous jazz listeners, aacm followers, free-jazz explorers, and readers of black music histories.
2 Reviews 2 Definitions 34 Charts

The Profile

The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an American avant‑garde jazz group formed in the 1960s by core AACM members Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Malachi Favors, and later Famoudou Don Moye. Renowned for multi‑instrumentalism, theatrical stagecraft, and the motto “Great Black Music: Ancient to the Future,” they bridged free jazz with performance art and pan‑African traditions.

Affiliated with Chicago’s AACM; classic lineup: Lester Bowie (trumpet, flugelhorn), Roscoe Mitchell (saxes, piccolo), Joseph Jarman (saxes, flute), Malachi Favors (bass), Famoudou Don Moye (percussion). Their 1974 album Fanfare For The Warriors features guest Muhal Richard Abrams and production by Michael Cuscuna. The group identifies its work within Great Black Music.

Two reviews trace the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s blend of free jazz and performance art, their AACM roots, and the ethos of Great Black Music. One dives into the 1974 album Fanfare For The Warriors and its lineup and textures; another discusses the Italian edition of Paul Steinbeck’s group biography. Overall tone is admiring and historically minded.

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