Who's familiar with The Art Ensemble of Chicago?

[Rabrrrrrr]

They're on the PBS thing about jazz I'm watching. I think I heard them on the radio the other day (di.fm modern jazz, internet streaming), but otherwise I've never heard of them.

The little bit of performance they showed on the PBS thingy was awesome! Sounds like they didn't live very long as a group, though.

[Squeech]

1. They lasted a good couple decades

They first got together in the late '60s and were still playing together in the '90s (although by then they also had solo careers).

I'm not a huge fan, but I saw them play once, and they did this tune so compelling I never forgot it. Came out on record a couple years later, and I recognized it immediately.

Also once attended a master class conducted by Lester Bowie. (He was recuperating from abdominal surgery and, while ambulatory by then, couldn't really blow hard yet, so he accepted lecture and teaching gigs from places like Harvard.) He talked about the Art Ensemble's early days, how they had a massive rehearsal schedule of up to 12 hours a day, and they'd play genres: shuffle for an hour, 12-bar blues for an hour, swing for an hour. It was their way of forging an ensemble identity as quickly as possible, getting that sense of each other as a group. Then for dessert they'd play intense energy music for an hour.

They'd still be a group today, but for Bowie being dead.

[Susang]

2. Uh...they are still a group

And still touring, just without Bowie.
http://www.artensembleofchicago.com/ontour.html

[tigereye]

4. they are wonderful

one of the best shows I have ever seen. I do miss Lester though.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Thanks! And thanks to everyone else who posted!

I'm glad to hear that they lasted a good long time, AND are still touring!

Would be nice to see them some day.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Oh man, that wasn't just music, that was art.

[Bridget Burke]

5. Not having a serious jazz background, I can't say I'm "familiar"....

But I did hear them play in Houston & was blown away. Perhaps the jazzers have the vocabulary to explain why they were so fine. This rock/folk/country/blues fan was just glad I made the effort to see them.

Just as I was glad I got out to hear Rahsaan Roland Kirk & Sun Ra & his Orkestra (before he left the solar system for his interstellar tour).