Steve McCall, AACM co founder (September 30, 1933 – May 24, 1989)
McCall was born in Chicago and began his career there in the 1950s. One of his early gigs was playing behind blues singer Lucky Carmichael. McCall
befriended Muhal Richard Abrams in 1961, and went on to be one of the founders of the AACM in 1965. He played with hard bop and free jazz
musicians throughout the decade; among those he played with were Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Fred
Anderson, and Wadada Leo Smith. From 1967 to 1970 he lived in Amsterdam and in Paris, playing there with Braxton, Marion Brown, and Gunter
Hampel. In 1970 he moved back to Chicago, where he played in a trio with Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons, and the avant garde trio Air with reed
player Henry Threadgill and bassist Fred Hopkins.
He spent another year in Europe in 1974, then moved to New York City in 1975, playing again with Threadgill and Hopkins in Air and with Muhal
Richard Abrams in trio and quintet with bassist Leonard Jones. He also played with Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, John Hicks and David Murray. He
played with David Murray at Galerie Waalkens of Albert Waalkens in the Dutch village Finsterwolde. In 1985 he played with Cecil Taylor, and
worked with Roscoe Mitchell again until his death of a stroke in 1989. He never recorded a session as a leader (a solo recording for the French
Futura label was mentioned at one time, but it's unclear whether it actually existed). However, McCall received equal billing with tenor sax player
Fred Anderson on the posthumously released Vintage Duets album.
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2005 -2022 AACM New York City Chapter, Inc
aacm new york
Steve McCall, AACM co founder (September 30, 1933 – May 24, 1989)
McCall was born in Chicago and began his career there in the 1950s. One
of his early gigs was playing behind blues singer Lucky Carmichael.
McCall befriended Muhal Richard Abrams in 1961, and went on to be
one of the founders of the AACM in 1965. He played with hard bop and
free jazz musicians throughout the decade; among those he played with
were Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell,
Fred Anderson, and Wadada Leo Smith. From 1967 to 1970 he lived in
Amsterdam and in Paris, playing there with Braxton, Marion Brown, and
Gunter Hampel. In 1970 he moved back to Chicago, where he played in a
trio with Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons, and the avant garde trio Air
with reed player Henry Threadgill and bassist Fred Hopkins.
He spent another year in Europe in 1974, then moved to New York City
in 1975, playing again with Threadgill and Hopkins in Air and with Muhal
Richard Abrams in trio and quintet with bassist Leonard Jones. He also
played with Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, John Hicks and David Murray.
He played with David Murray at Galerie Waalkens of Albert Waalkens in
the Dutch village Finsterwolde. In 1985 he played with Cecil Taylor, and
worked with Roscoe Mitchell again until his death of a stroke in 1989. He
never recorded a session as a leader (a solo recording for the French
Futura label was mentioned at one time, but it's unclear whether it
actually existed). However, McCall received equal billing with tenor sax
player Fred Anderson on the posthumously released Vintage Duets
album.
2005 -2022 AACM New York City Chapter, Inc