The term "M-Base" is used in several ways. In the 1980s, a loose collective of young African American musicians including Steve Coleman, Graham Haynes, Cassandra Wilson, Geri Allen, Robin Eubanks, and Greg Osby emerged in Brooklyn with a brand new sound and specific ideas about creative expression. Using a term coined by Steve Coleman, they called these ideas "M-Base-concept" and critics have used this term to categorize this scene's music as a jazz style. But Coleman stressed "M-Base" doesn't denote a musical style but a way of thinking about creating music. Coleman also refuses the word "jazz" as a label for his music and the music tradition represented by musicians like John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, etc. However, the musicians of the M-Base movement, which also included dancers and poets, strived for common creative musical languages, so their early recordings show many similarities reflecting their common ideas, the experiences of working together, and their similar cultural background. To label this kind of music, jazz critics have established the word "M-Base" as a jazz style for lack of a better term, distorting its original meaning.
Greg Osby is an American saxophonist and composer.
Joseph Salvatore Lovano is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarinetist, flautist, and drummer. He has earned a Grammy Award and several mentions on Down Beat magazine's critics' and readers' polls. His wife, with whom he records and performs, is singer Judi Silvano. Lovano was a longtime member of drummer Paul Motian‘s trio with guitarist Bill Frisell.
Harold Mujahid O'Neal FRSA is an American producer and musician, known for his work as a pianist, composer, public speaker, social entrepreneur, and storyteller. He is widely recognized for his association with the legacy of jazz pianists and has also worked with a diverse range of artists across various musical genres, including U2, Bob Geldof, Akon, Lupe Fiasco, Busta Rhymes, Damien Rice, Aloe Blacc, and Jay Z.
Irresistible Forces is an album by Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, with Greg Osby, Gary Thomas, Mick Goodrick, Lonnie Plaxico and Naná Vasconcelos. It was recorded in 1987 and released on the MCA label.
Audio-Visualscapes is an album by Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, featuring Greg Osby, Gary Thomas, Mick Goodrick, and Lonnie Plaxico, recorded in 1988 and released on the MCA/Impulse! label.
Friendly Fire is an album by the American jazz saxophonists Joe Lovano and Greg Osby recorded in 1998 and released on the Blue Note label.
Gilad Hekselman is an Israeli-born jazz guitarist. He has performed with Anat Cohen, Mark Turner, Dayna Stephens, Aaron Parks, Jeff Ballard, John Scofield, Ari Hoenig, Chris Potter and Joey Alexander.
Kavita Shah is a vocalist and composer from New York, NY. She has been hailed by NPR for possessing an “amazing dexterity with musical languages”.
Season of Renewal is the third album by saxophonist Greg Osby recorded in 1989 and released on the JMT label.
Banned in New York is a live album by saxophonist Greg Osby recorded at Sweet Basil in New York City in 1997 for the Blue Note label. The album was recorded by Osby on a MiniDisc recorder placed on a table in front of the band.
By Any Means Necessary is the third album by saxophonist Gary Thomas recorded in 1989 and released on the JMT label.
Gabriel Vicéns is a Puerto Rican guitarist, composer, bandleader, educator, and visual artist currently based in New York City.
João Barradas is a Portuguese accordionist and composer.
Melissa Aldana is a Chilean tenor saxophone player, who performs both as a soloist and with her band Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio.
Belden L. Bullock is an American jazz double-bassist.
Yuhan Su (蘇郁涵) is a jazz vibraphonist and composer based in New York City. Born in Gongguan, Miaoli, Taiwan, she moved to Taipei when she was 18 and later to the United States from Taiwan in 2008 to study at Berklee College of Music.
Low Blue Flame is an album by drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in January 2005 at Kampo Studios in New York City, and was released by Tum Records in 2006. On the album, Cyrille is joined by saxophonist Greg Osby. Cyrille and Osby met backstage after sharing a bill at a festival in France, and first performed publicly at Tonic in New York City in early 2004.
Structure is an album by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington on which she is joined by guitarist Adam Rogers, bassist Jimmy Haslip, and saxophonist Greg Osby. It was recorded at Castle Oaks Studio in Calabasas, California during November 2003, and was released in 2004 by the German label ACT Music.
Sara Serpa is a jazz vocalist from Lisbon, Portugal.
