{"title":"The Art Ensemble of Chicago","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe Art Ensemble of Chicago emerged from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in the late 1960s, becoming one of the most influential avant-garde jazz collectives of the twentieth century. Founded in Chicago in 1965 by Muhal Richard Abrams, the AACM provided a home for saxophonists Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman and bassist Malachi Favors, who first recorded together as the Roscoe Mitchell Sextet on 1966's Sound for Delmark. Trumpeter Lester Bowie joined from St. Louis's Black Artists' Group, and by 1969 the quartet relocated to Paris, where they adopted the Art Ensemble of Chicago name and recorded 15 albums before returning to the United States in 1971. Drummer Don Moye joined in 1970, cementing the classic five-piece lineup that would remain consistent for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eOperating under the motto \"Great Black Music: Ancient to the Future\", the Art Ensemble fused traditional jazz, African music, modern classical composition, blues, rock, and reggae whilst embracing multi-instrumentalism and theatrical performance. They famously employed \"little instruments\" including bicycle horns, bells, kazoos, and found objects alongside traditional instruments, and performed in costumes and face paint, making their concerts both aural and visual spectacles. Signed to Atlantic Records in 1971, they formed their own AECO label in 1978 before joining ECM, which widened their audience internationally. Joseph Jarman retired in 1993 to open a Buddhist dojo and died in 2019. The group continues with Roscoe Mitchell and Don Moye leading, maintaining their legacy as pioneers who moved jazz beyond genre boundaries.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-art-ensemble-of-chicago-urban-bushmen-1982-japanese-ecm-2lp","title":"The Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Urban Bushmen (1982 Japanese ECM 2LP)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"1061\" data-end=\"1214\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinyl\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e: EX\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSleeve\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e: VG+\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObi:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e None\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur grading system explained \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dpbg4u-d1.myshopify.com\/pages\/secondhand-grading-guide\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ehere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoto is of the actual item.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Art Ensemble Of Chicago - \u003cem\u003eUrban Bushmen\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDouble Vinyl LP - 1982 Japanese ECM\/Trio Records Release\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Art Ensemble of Chicago's sprawling double album \u003cem\u003eUrban Bushmen\u003c\/em\u003e captures the legendary free jazz collective at peak form during a May 1980 concert at Amerika Haus in Munich. Recorded by ECM Records and released in Japan in 1982 by Trio Records\/Victor, the album showcases the quintet's unique approach to collective improvisation, incorporating hundreds of instruments from around the world alongside extended techniques on conventional jazz horns. The personnel credits read like an inventory of global percussion and wind instruments: congas, djembes, steel drums, conch shells, balafon, alongside multiple saxophones, clarinets, flutes, and brass. This commitment to sonic exploration, combined with the group's theatrical presentation and political consciousness, made the Art Ensemble one of free jazz's most significant and distinctive voices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe compositions range from brief thematic statements to extended collective improvisations. \"Uncle\" stretches across two sides (tracks C3 and D1), demonstrating the group's ability to sustain invention and intensity over long durations. Pieces like \"Bush Magic \/ Urban Magic\" and the \"Promenade: Cote Bamako\" tracks that open and close the album reference African traditions while incorporating American avant-garde jazz innovations. The group's motto \"Ancient to the Future\" is audible throughout, their music simultaneously honouring global musical traditions and pushing toward unexplored sonic territories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach member brings distinct strengths: Lester Bowie's trumpet work balances virtuosic technique with theatrical wit, Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman's multi-instrumental prowess creates shifting timbral landscapes, Malachi Favors' bass provides both harmonic foundation and melodic invention, while Famoudou Don Moye's percussion creates polyrhythmic complexity drawing from African and jazz traditions. Engineered at Tonstudio Bauer and pressed by Victor Company of Japan, this double LP captures the concert's energy and sonic detail across four sides.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ECM Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43158490087483,"sku":null,"price":65.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/IMG_5799.jpg?v=1769137733"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/the-art-ensemble-of-chicago.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}