Milford Graves

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  • Genres: Jazz

Biography

Milford Graves has been among the flashiest drummers in the free mode, known for skillful inclusion of Asian and African rhythmic ingredients into his solos. He studied Indian music extensively, including learning the tabla from Wasantha Singh. He has unfortunately not recorded much, especially on American labels. Graves played congas as a child, then switched to trap drums at 17 before his tabla studies with Singh. During the '60s, Graves worked with Giuseppi Logan and the New York Art Quartet. He recorded on ESP in the mid-'60s with Logan, and was an original member of the Jazz Composers' Orchestra Association. Graves also played with Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba in the early '60s. His appearance in the Bill Dixon-sponsored concert series the October Revolution in Jazz helped introduce Graves to a wider audience. He did two albums of duets with pianist Don Pullen at Yale in 1966. Graves worked regularly with Albert Ayler in 1967 and 1968, performing at the 1967 Newport Festival. He also played with Hugh Glover and worked in a duo with Andrew Cyrille. During the '70s, Graves participated in a series of mid-'70s concerts called Dialogue of the Drums with Cyrille and Rashied Ali, including several shows in black neighborhoods. Graves taught at Bennington College alongside Bill Dixon in the '70s, and toured Europe and Japan. During the '80s, he played in percussion ensembles with Cyrille, Kenny Clarke, and Don Moye. Philly Joe Jones later replaced Clarke. The late '90s found Graves enjoying a revival, collaborating with younger musicians, including John Zorn, and recording albums for his Tzadik label. In 2000, the New York Art Quartet's first recording in decades, 35th Reunion, was released by DIW. ~ Ron Wynn, Rovi
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Milford Graves
Background information
Born (1941-08-20) 20 August 1941 (age 70)
Jamaica, Queens, New YorkUnited States
Genres Avant-garde jazz, Jazz, World music
Occupations Musician, songwriter, instructor
Instruments Drums, conga drums, Percussion, timbales, Vocals,
Labels ESP-Disk, Prestige, Fontana, RCA, Tzadik Records
Associated acts Paul Bley, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Graves Pullen Duo

Milford Graves (b. Queens, New York August 20, 1941)[1] is an American jazz drummer and percussionist, most noteworthy for his early avant-garde contributions in the early 1960s with Paul Bley and the New York Art Quartet. He is considered to be a free jazz pioneer, liberating the percussion from its timekeeping role.[2]

Graves has worked as a sideman and session musician with a variety of established jazz musicians throughout his career, including Don Pullen, Eddie Gomez, Andrew Cyrille, Rashied Ali, Kenny Clarke, Don Moye, Philly Joe Jones, John Zorn and Albert Ayler. He has invested his time in research within the field of healing through music.[3] Graves accepted a job in 1973 as an instructor at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont.[1]

Contents

Discography

As leader

  • 1965: Percussion Ensemble (ESP Disk)
  • 1977: Meditation Among Us (Kitty)
  • 1977: Babi (IPS)
  • 1998: Grand Unification (Tzadik)
  • 2000: Stories' (Tzadik)

As sideman

with Montego Joe

with Giuseppi Logan

with Paul Bley

with New York Art Quartet

with the Jazz Composer's Orchestra

with Miriam Makeba

  • Makeba Sings! (RCA)

with Lowell Davidson

with Don Pullen

  • At Yale University (PG)
  • Nommo (SRP)

with Albert Ayler

with Sonny Sharrock

  • Black Woman (Vortex)

with Andrew Cyrille

  • Dialogue Of The Drums (IPS)

with Various Artists

  • New American Music Volume 1-New York Section/Composers of the 1970's (Folkways)

with Sun Ra

  • Untitled Recordings (Transparency)

with Kenny Clarke/Andrew Cyrille/Milford Graves/Famoudou Don Moye

  • Pieces of Time (Soul Note)

with David Murray

with John Zorn

with Anthony Braxton & William Parker

References

  1. ^ a b "Milford Graves at All About Jazz". All About Jazz. AOL.Muaix. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=7178. Retrieved 9 August 2010. 
  2. ^ Litweiler, John (1984). The Freedom Principle:Jazz after 1958. Da Capo. p. 137. ISBN 0-306-80377-1. 
  3. ^ Corey Kilgannon, "Finding Healing Music in the Heart", New York Times, November 9, 2004 Retrieved November 20, 2004

External links


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Copyrights:

Mentioned in

Pieces of Time (1983 Album by Kenny Clarke)
More (1965 Album by Giuseppi Logan)
Milford Graves Percussion Ensemble (1965 Album by Milford Graves Percussion Ensemble)
New York Art Quartet (Jazz Band, '60s-2000s)
Barrage (1964 Album by Paul Bley Quintet)