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Joseph Jarman

While attending high school in Chicago in the early '50s, Jarman took up the drums under the tutelage of the famous music teacher Walter Dyett. He switched to saxophone and clarinet while in the army. Upon his discharge in 1958, he returned to Chicago. There, he joined pianist Muhal Richard Abrams' Experimental Band (formed in 1961), alongside his future Art Ensemble compatriots Malachi Favors and Mitchell. Jarman played in a hard bop sextet with Mitchell, and in 1965, he became one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

Starting around 1967, Jarman was one of the first saxophonists to perform solo, a tactic also embraced by other members of the AACM, notably Anthony Braxton. Jarman led his own group from 1966-1968, which included bassist Charles Clark, drummer Thurman Barker, and pianist Christopher Gaddy, among others. Separate editions of that band recorded a pair of albums for Delmark: Song for... (1966) and As if it were the Seasons (1968). In 1967, Lester Bowie recorded Numbers 1 & 2 for Nessa; on "2," the four musicians who would become the Art Ensemble (Bowie, Mitchell, Favors, and Jarman) recorded together for the first time.

In 1969, that band would become Jarman's primary creative outlet. By then, the untimely deaths of Gaddy and Clark had compelled Jarman to disband his own group. Jarman would continue with the Art Ensemble until 1993. In that time, he also recorded under his own name, for the Black Saint, AECO, and India Navigation labels.

Upon leaving the Art Ensemble, Jarman virtually retired from music, in order to devote himself more completely to spiritual matters. As the '90s progressed, however, he did continue to perform and record, often as a guest with such musicians as Marilyn Crispell, guitarist/ composer Scott Fields, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Lou Grassi

Black Case Volume 1 & 11: Return From Exile

by Chris May
December 21, 2019

Black Case Volume 1 & 11: Return From Exile Joseph Jarman 146 Pages ISBN: 978-1-733723-3-4 Blank Forms Editions / After : Still 2019 The welcome reappearance after over forty years of a lost treasure of the Black Arts Movement, written by the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Joseph Jarman. Black Case Volume 1 & 11: Return From Exile was self-published in 1974 and a second, revised edition was published by Art Ensemble of Chicago ...

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Album Review

Joseph Jarman: As If It Were The Seasons

Read "As If It Were The Seasons" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza

by Jerry D'Souza
June 21, 2007

Woodwind multi-instrumentalist Joseph Jarman was one of the first musicians who became part of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). One of the goals of the Association was to create music of a high artistic level. Jarman had been doing that and he fit right in. He was in Muhal Richard Abrams' Experimental Band and had played with Malachi Favors and Roscoe Mitchell.

Jarman formed his own group in 1966, recording two albums, the second being As ...

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Album Review

Joseph Jarman: As If It Were The Seasons

Read "As If It Were The Seasons" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
May 9, 2007

If you walk into a grove of redwood trees in Northern California you will come upon a cathedral of trees. These living/breathing beings, some nearly 300 feet tall, may have been standing there together for the last thousand or two thousand years. They have been very quietly affecting the ecology of the west since before Europeans ever saw the Pacific Ocean. Like the redwoods, members of Chicago's Association for Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) have, sometimes quietly, often with great ...

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Album Review

Joseph Jarman: As If It Were The Seasons

Read "As If It Were The Seasons" reviewed by Nic Jones

by Nic Jones
May 6, 2007

As a charter member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, multi-reed player Joseph Jarman has been responsible for fashioning an entirely different approach to group improvisation from a time in the mid-1960s, when both John Coltrane and Albert Ayler were breaking with established practices. In a sense Jarman's career since has been an exercise in the refining and redefining of his underlying approach, and this disc serves notice of the distinctive place he started out from.

The music here, recorded ...

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Album Review

Joseph Jarman: As If It Were The Seasons

Read "As If It Were The Seasons" reviewed by Troy Collins

by Troy Collins
April 25, 2007

As If It Were The Seasons was Joseph Jarman's second album for Delmark records, following his 1966 debut, Song For. Recorded in 1968, it is a rare document of his artistry pre-Art Ensemble of Chicago. Remastered from the original analog tapes, this reissue sheds new light on a seminal free jazz classic.

The album contained two extended compositions; each one filling a side of the original vinyl release. Side one combined the title track with “Song To Make ...

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Profile

Joseph Jarman

by Kurt Gottschalk
November 8, 2003

Chicago was my indoctrination. In 1990, I attended the 25th anniversary of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. I was basically an avant rock fan, overly confident in my then miniscule knowledge of free music. I wish now I even knew who I saw during that weekend festival, but it was one of the few actually life-changing events to which I can point. Three years later, I moved to New York City. I made a ...

Performance / Tour

Connection Works Presents The 4th Season Of Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open @ Littlefield

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
November 22, 2010

Littlefield is located at is located at 622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Ave in Brooklyn, 718 855 3388 NEXT CONCERT!—Wednesday, December 15 @ 8:00 PM WORKS with Special Guest JOSEPH JARMAN Featuring “Musical Dialogues"—A conversation with Joseph Jarman Joseph Jarman—reeds, Michel Gentile—flute, Daniel Kelly—piano, Rob Garcia—drums followed by Ron Horton/Tim Horner Andrew Hill Project @ 10:00 PM Ron Horton-trumpet/flugelhorn, arranger, Tim Horner-drums, John O'Gallagher-alto sax/flute, Marc Mommaas-tenor/soprano saxophones, Scott Robinson-tenor ...
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Event

"Sound" Concert Series Concludes with Rare Performance by Art Ensemble of Chicago Co-Founders Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman

Source: SASSAS
August 8, 2006

Summer series returns to the Ford Amphitheatre for final event of the 2006 season

SASSAS is pleased to present two towering figures in modern jazz, Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman, in a rare duo, on Sunday October 8 as a part of “sound." at the Ford Amphitheatre. As founding members of the legendary jazz collective the Art Ensemble of Chicago, these veteran multi-instrumentalists last performed together in Los Angeles as a part of the Ensemble in the mid-1970's. For this ...
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Performance / Tour

Joseph Jarman Chris Chalfant Duo, Lifetime Visions Orchestra

Source: All About Jazz
July 13, 2005

Lifetime Visions Orchestra Joseph Jarman and Chris Chalfant, directors followed by discussion group; topic: Community Visions Sunday, July 17, 6-9PM Brooklyn Buddhist Association, Jikishinkan Dojo 211 Smith St. Brooklyn, NY 11209 http://www.directmind.com 718-748-0484 Joseph Jarman and Chris Chalfant duo Thursday, August 4 Deep Listening Space 75 Broadway, Kingston, NY http://www.deeplistening.org, 845-338-5964 Joseph Jarman and Chris Chalfant will be performing a duo concert at Deep Listening Space, 75 Broadway, Kingston, NY on August 4 at 8:30 PM. Jarman and Chalfant have ...
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Performance / Tour

Vision Club Sat., Feb.12th Joseph Jarman / Robert Garcia 7:30pm + Ted Daniel 9pm

Source: All About Jazz
February 10, 2005

A R T S F O R A R T 508 East 6th Street #3, NYC 10009 February 10, 2005 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: The Vision Festival / www.visionfestival.org PRESS Contact: Jim Eigo [email protected] / 845.986.1677 Saturday, February 12, 2005 THE VISION CLUB presents 7:30pm Joseph Jarman / Robert Garcia 9pm Ted Daniel's International Brass and Membrane Corporation At Clemente Soto Velez - LES Gallery 107 Suffolk Street at Rivington 7:30Joseph Jarman & Robert Garcia Duo Joseph Jarman – winds & ...
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