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. 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."
Ernest Dawkins is an American jazz saxophonist, principally active in free jazz and post-bop.
High Definition is an album by American jazz musician Joe Morris which was recorded in 2007 and released on the Swiss hatOLOGY label. Morris plays double bass instead of guitar. It was the debut recording by his Bass Quartet featuring trumpeter Taylor Ho Bynum, saxophonist Allan Chase and drummer Luther Gray. Chase played previously with the rhythm section composed of Morris and Gray on pianist Steve Lantner's quartet.
Circuitous is an album by jazz pianist Pandelis Karayorgis, which was recorded in 2012 and released on Driff, an artist-run label co-founded by Karayorgis and Jorrit Dijkstra. He leads a new band with four Chicago-based musicians: saxophonists Dave Rempis and Keefe Jackson, bassist Nate McBride and drummer Frank Rosaly. Karayorgis explains that Tony Williams' seminal album Spring inspired the instrumentation for this project, a quintet with two tenors as the main horns.
Mother's Blue Velvet Shoes is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, which was recorded live at Chicago's Velvet Lounge in 1997 and released on his own Dawk label.
Jo'burg Jump is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, which was recorded in 2000 and released on Delmark. The album title was inspired by a visit to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Cape Town Shuffle is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, which was recorded live at Chicago's HotHouse in 2002 and released on Delmark.
Mean Ameen is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, which was recorded in 2004 and released on Delmark. It was a tribute to New Horizons' trumpeter Ameen Muhammad, who died in 2003 at the age of 48.
The Messenger is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, which was recorded live at the Chicago's Velvet Lounge in 2005 and released on Delmark. The event was also filmed and issued on DVD.
The Continuum is an album by Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, a jazz band formed by percussionist Kahil El'Zabar, who is joined by trombonist Joseph Bowie and two new members: saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, who replaces Ed Wilkerson, and percussionist 'Atu' Harold Murray. It was recorded in 1997 and released on Delmark.
Papa's Bounce is an album by Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, a jazz band formed by percussionist Kahil El'Zabar, who is joined by trombonist Joseph Bowie, saxophonist Ernest Dawkins and percussionist 'Atu' Harold Murray. It was recorded in 1998 and released on CIMP.
South Side Street Songs is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, which was recorded in 1993 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label. "Maghostut" is dedicated to bassist Malachi Favors, who replaced Ben Israel on New Horizons' first European tour in 1986, and also to the Art Ensemble of Chicago. "El Hajj" is for El Hajj Malik El Shabazz.
Chicago Now Vol. 1 is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, recorded in 1994 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.
Chicago Now Vol. 2 is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, which was recorded in 1994 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.
What It Is! is an album by American jazz percussionist Kahil El'Zabar, which was recorded in 2012 and released on Delmark. It was the debut of a quartet comprising three young players from the school of Chicago's AACM: tenor saxophonist Kevin Nabors, pianist Justin Dillard and bassist Junius Paul. The album includes five originals and two jazz standards by John Coltrane: "Impressions" and "Central Park West".
Velvet Songs, is a double album by Chicago Trio, a collective jazz group consisting of saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, bassist Harrison Bankhead and drummer Hamid Drake. It was recorded live in 2008 at the Velvet Lounge, the club owned by saxophonist Fred Anderson, and released on the French RogueArt label.
Buddy Bolden's Rag is an album by the American jazz trumpeter Malachi Thompson, recorded and released by the Delmark label in 1995.
Spirits Alike is an album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders. It was recorded in August 2006 in New Jersey, and was released later that year by Double Moon Records. The album features performances by a reconstituted version of the band: original members Chico Freeman and Cecil McBee (bass) are joined by alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Fred Harris, and drummer Billy Hart.
Afro Straight is an album by saxophonist Ernest Dawkins. It was recorded during October 2010 and April 2012, and was released in 2012 by Delmark Records. On the album, which features eight jazz standards and two original compositions, Dawkins is joined by trumpeter Corey Wilkes, pianist Willerm Delisfort, organist Ben Paterson, bassist Junius Paul, drummer Isaiah Spencer, and percussionists Ruben Alvarez, Greg Carmouche, and Greg Penn.
Memory in the Center, an Afro Opera: Homage to Nelson Mandela is a live album by saxophonist and composer Ernest Dawkins and the Live the Spirit Residency Big Band. It was recorded at the 2014 Chicago Jazz Festival, and was released later that year by Dawkins's Dawk Music label. The recording documents the premiere of a large-scale composition that pays tribute to Nelson Mandela, who died in December 2013. Dawkins composed and conducted the work, but did not appear as a performer.
