2005 -2023 AACM New York City Chapter, Inc
Laroy Roosevelt (Wallace ) McMillan, born 1941 in St. Louis, Missouri
From an early age McMillan had an interest in drums he started playing relatively young age 8 or 9
years old playing congas and bongos which were his first instruments. He took part in talent shows led
by a popular master of ceremonies in his home town, there he became strongly attracted to the latin
jazz sounds of Mongo Santamaria and Cal Tjader, influenced by these latin sounds he decided to take up
the flute and studied with a member of the St. Louis Symphony. After being discharged from the Navy in
1967 where he had the opportunity to hone his musical skills he returned to St . Louis but then decided
to move to Chicago around the end of that year or early 68. His first encounters with the AACM came in
1968 at the 63rd street Beachhouse summer concert series that the AACM presented, he became a
member of the organization shortly thereafter. McMillan has performed with Muhal Richard Abrams
Sextet the first AACM group to play the Berlin Jazz festival in 1973, Adegoke Colson/Iqua Colson´s
group Unity Troupe , Douglas Ewart´s Inventions and he has been a consistant mainstay in many latin
groups in Chicago both as saxophonist and percussionist.
aacm new york
aacm new york
Laroy Roosevelt (Wallace ) McMillan, born
1941 in St. Louis, Missouri
From an early age McMillan had an interest in
drums he started playing relatively young age
8 or 9 years old playing congas and bongos
which were his first instruments. He took part
in talent shows led by a popular master of
ceremonies in his home town, there he became
strongly attracted to the latin jazz sounds of
Mongo Santamaria and Cal Tjader, influenced
by these latin sounds he decided to take up the
flute and studied with a member of the St. Louis
Symphony. After being discharged from the
Navy in 1967 where he had the opportunity to
hone his musical skills he returned to St . Louis
but then decided to move to Chicago around
the end of that year or early 68. His first
encounters with the AACM came in 1968 at
the 63rd street Beachhouse summer concert
series that the AACM presented, he became a
member of the organization shortly thereafter.
McMillan has performed with Muhal Richard
Abrams Sextet the first AACM group to play
the Berlin Jazz festival in 1973, Adegoke
Colson/Iqua Colson´s group Unity Troupe ,
Douglas Ewart´s Inventions and he has been a
consistant mainstay in many latin groups in
Chicago both as saxophonist and percussionist.
2005 -2023 AACM New York City Chapter, Inc