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Henry Threadgill

Background information
Birth name Henry Luther Threadgill
Born February 15, 1944 (1944-02-15) (age 64)
Origin Flag of the United States Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genre(s) Jazz
Avant-garde jazz
Occupation(s) Musician
Bandleader
Composer
Sideman
Instrument(s) Alto saxophone, Flute
Years active 1960s – Present
Notable instrument(s)
Alto Saxophone

Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz) is a style of music and Improvisation that combines Avant-garde Art music and composition with A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A bandleader is the leader of a band of Musicians The term is most commonly though not exclusively used with a group that plays Popular music as A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A sideman is a professional Musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he is not a regular member A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind A flautist, flutist, or flute player is a Musician who plays the Flute.

Contents

Life and career

Threadgill first performed as a percussionist in his high school marching band before taking up the baritone saxophone and later a large portion of the woodwind instrument family. The baritone saxophone, often called " bari sax " (to avoid confusion with the Baritone horn, which is often referred to simply as "baritone" is Types of woodwind instruments See also List of woodwind instruments Single-reed instruments use a reed, which is a thin cut He soon settled primarily upon the alto saxophone and the flute. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its

AACM and Air

He was one of the original members of the legendary AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) in his hometown of Chicago and worked under the guidance of Muhal Richard Abrams before leaving to tour with a gospel band. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Muhal Richard Abrams (born September 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American educator administrator Composer In 1967, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, playing with a rock band in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially He was discharged in 1969.

Upon his return to Chicago he rejoined fellow AACM members Fred Hopkins and Steve McCall, forming a trio which would eventually become the group Air, one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed avant-garde jazz groups of the 1970s and 1980s. Fred Hopkins ( October 10, 1947 - January 7, 1999) was a Chicago Double bassist who played a major role in the development Steve McCall (September 20 1933 - May 24 1989 was an American Jazz drummer Air was a Free jazz trio founded in 1971 by Saxophone player Henry Threadgill, Double bassist Fred Hopkins and Drummer Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz) is a style of music and Improvisation that combines Avant-garde Art music and composition with In the meantime, Threadgill had moved to New York City to begin pursuing his own musical visions, which explored musical genres in innovative ways thanks to his daringly unique group collaborations. The City of New York His first group, X-75, was a nonet consisting of four reed players, four bass players and a vocalist. Types of woodwind instruments See also List of woodwind instruments Single-reed instruments use a reed, which is a thin cut The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra.

The Sextet/Sextett

In the early 1980s, Threadgill created his first critically acclaimed ensemble as a leader, Henry Threadgill Sextet (actually a septet), which released three LP's on About Time Records. After a hiatus, during which Threadgill formed New Air with Pheeroan Aklaff replacing the late Steve McCall on drums, Threadgill re-formed the Henry Threadgill Sextett (with two t's). Pheeroan akLaff (b January 27 1955 is an American Jazz drummer This group recorded three CD's on the Novus Records label. Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the The six albums the group recorded feature some of Threadgill's most accessible work, notably on the album You Know the Number.

The group's unorthodox instrumentation included two drummers, bass, cello, trumpet and trombone, in addition to Threadgill's alto and flute. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s Among the players who filled these roles were drummers Aklaff, John Betsch, Reggie Nicholson and Newman Baker; bassist Fred Hopkins; cellist Deidre Murray; trumpeters Rasul Siddik and Ted Daniels; cornetist Olu Dara; and trombonists Ray Anderson, Bill Lowe and Craig Harris. Fred Hopkins ( October 10, 1947 - January 7, 1999) was a Chicago Double bassist who played a major role in the development Diedre Murray is an American cellist specializing in Jazz, Improvised music, and Contemporary classical music. Olu Dara (born Charles Jones III in Natchez Mississippi on 12 January 1941) is an American Cornetist, Guitarist Ray Anderson (born October 16, 1952 in Chicago Illinois) is an independent Jazz Trombone and Trumpet player Craig S Harris (born September 10, 1953 in Hempstead Long Island) is a Jazz Trombonist and Composer who has been

Very Very Circus and beyond

During the 1990s, Threadgill pushed the musical boundaries even further with his ensemble Very Very Circus. In addition to Threadgill, the group's core consisted of two tubas, two electric guitars and a drummer. Mediatubaogg -->The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched Brass instrument. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder A drummer is a Musician who plays a Drum or drums particularly a Drum kit ("drum set" or "trap set" Marching percussion With this group he explored more complex and highly structured forms of composition, augmenting the group with everything from latin percussion to French horn to violin to accordion and an array of exotic instruments and vocalists. This article is about percussion instruments used in Latin music The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox

By this time Threadgill's place amongst the upper echelon of the avant-garde was secured, so prolific in fact that he was signed by Columbia Records for three albums (a rarity for musicians of his kind). Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Since the dissolution of Very Very Circus, Threadgill has continued in his iconoclastic ways with ensembles such as Make A Move, Zooid and Flute Force Four. Make A Move included guitarists Brandon Ross and James Emery and drummer J. James Emery (b December 21 1951 Youngstown Ohio) is an American Jazz guitarist T. Lewis. Zooid, a sextet with tuba, acoustic guitar, cello and oud (played by Moroccan Tarik Benbrahim) has been the primary vehicle for Threadgill's most current compositions throughout the 2000's. The oud ( عود ʿūd, plural أعواد, a‘wād; kaban; Persian: بربط barbat; ud In 2008 concerts, Zooid featured Dana Leong on cello instead of oud.

His sound and influences

Although Threadgill's musical roots are in jazz, the blues and gospel music, he is considered to be one of the premier "creative" or avant-garde composers in music today. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard His compositions are truly American, often representing a melting pot of musical genres; at any given time you may hear cleverly mixed elements of traditional African music, Latin music, folk music, New Orleans brass and opera in addition to his more obvious influences. The music of Africa is as vast and varied as the continent's many regions, nations and Ethnic groups Although there is no distinctly pan-African Latin music, includes the music of all countries in Latin America (and the Caribbean) and comes in many varieties Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous A brass band is a Musical group generally consisting entirely of Brass instruments, most often with a percussion section Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto His compositions can be a very complex affair, with textures so dense and intricate (and in later years so strictly scored) as to border upon being through composed. Music is described as through-composed when it is relatively continuous non- sectional and/or non- Repetitive. While this seems to be in contrast to the loose, improvisatory feel of much jazz, his best compositions still bring that feeling to the forefront.

Threadgill has recorded or performed with many of the legends of the jazz avant-garde, including Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, David Murray and Bill Laswell. Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American Composer, saxophonist, Clarinettist flautist, pianist Muhal Richard Abrams (born September 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American educator administrator Composer Roscoe Mitchell (b August 3, 1940 in Chicago Illinois) is an African American Composer, Jazz instrumentalist Joseph Jarman (b September 14, 1937 in Pine Bluff Arkansas) is a Jazz Musician, Composer and Shinshu Buddhist David Murray (born February 19, 1955 in Oakland, California, United States) is a notable Jazz musician Bill Laswell (born February 12, 1955 in Salem

Personal life and family

He has been married to singer Cassandra Wilson and has a daughter with choreographer Christina Jones, a founding member of the Urban Bush Women Dance Company. Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American Jazz musician vocalist songwriter and producer from Jackson Mississippi. Threadgill's daughter with Jones, Pyeng Threadgill, is an up and coming soul-blues artist with much of her father's flair for genre-bending experimentation. His long time wife/partner Senti Toy's debut album was named best of pop 2007 by the Wall Street Journal.

Discography (as leader)

External links

Too Much Sugar for a Dime is an album by Henry Threadgill, released in 1993 on the Axiom label Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company
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