Fred Hopkins
Fred Hopkins was born on October 11, 1947, and passed away on January 7, 1999. He was an American musician who played the double bass and played an important part in the development of experimental jazz. He was most known for working with the trio Air, which included Henry Threadgill and Steve McCall.
Joseph Jarman
Joseph Jarman was born on September 14, 1937, and passed away on January 9, 2019. He was an American jazz musician, composer, poet, and priest in the Shinshu Buddhist tradition. He was one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.
Lester Bowie
Lester Bowie was born on October 11, 1941, and died on November 8, 1999. He was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Wadada Leo Smith
Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (born December 18, 1941) is an American trumpeter and music writer who works mainly in a special kind of music called creative music. He was one of three people considered for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his work Ten Freedom Summers, which came out on May 22, 2012.
Henry Threadgill
Henry Threadgill was born on February 15, 1944. He is an American composer, saxophonist, and flautist. He became well-known in the 1970s for leading musical groups that played jazz but used uncommon instruments and often included music from other styles.
Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for playing saxophones, especially the alto sax. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago and was an important early member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.
Roscoe Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell was born on August 3, 1940. He is an American composer, jazz musician, and teacher. He is known for playing the saxophone in a unique and highly skilled way.
Muhal Richard Abrams
Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the free jazz style. He recorded and toured the United States, Canada, and Europe with his orchestra, sextet, quartet, duo, and as a solo pianist.
Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim, born Adolph Johannes Brand on October 9, 1934, was once called Dollar Brand. He is a South African pianist and composer. His music includes influences from his childhood in Cape Town, such as traditional African songs, gospel music from the AME Church, ragas, modern jazz, and Western styles.
Randy Weston
Randolph Edward “Randy” Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer. His creative work was influenced by his African heritage. Weston’s piano style was shaped by the music of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.