AACM NYC Chapter, Inc. Presents The Muhal Richard Abrams Quintet

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October 24, 2014, 8:00PM. The Muhal Richard Abrams Quintet Featuring: Muhal Richard Abrams - Piano (#IMPACTDD), Bryan Carrott - Vibes, Dayna Stephens - Tenor Saxophone, Lindsey Horner - Bass, Reggie Nicholson - Drums. CONCERT HELD AT: Community Church of New York 40 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016 (Between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue).
World renowned pianist and composer Dr. Muhal Richard Abrams has been in the forefront of the contemporary music scene for well over forty years. Muhal is a co-founder of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founder of The AACM School of Music and Executive Director of The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York City Chapter. Muhal was the first recipient of the grand international jazz award, "The JazzPar Prize", which was awarded to him in 1990 by the Danish Jazz Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1999 Muhal was presented a proclamation by Richard M. Daley, Mayor of the City of Chicago, declaring April 11, 1999 as Muhal Richard Abrams Day in Chicago. In 2009 Muhal was selected to be a USA Prudential Fellow by United States Artist. In 2010 Mr. Abrams was chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts to be a NEA Jazz Master and was inducted into the Downbeat Magazine' "Jazz Hall of Fame". On May 16, 2012, Muhal received the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa, from Columbia University, New York City, New York. On October 19, 2012, the
Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation presented Dr. Abrams with The BNY Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award at The Kennedy Center, Washington, D. C. In 2014 Dr. Abrams received a Doris Duke Impact Award.

Except for a brief period of study at Chicago Musical College and Governors State University in Chicago, Illinois where he studied electronic music, Dr. Abrams is predominately a self-taught musician who as a result of many years of observation, analysis, and practice as a performing musician, has developed a highly respected command of a variety of musical styles both as a pianist and composer. The versatile Dr. Abrams and members of The AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) are responsible for some of the most original new music approaches of the last four decades.

Dr. Abrams' compositions include: "String Quartet #2" performed by The Kronos String Quartet on November 22, 1985 at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City; "Piano Duet #1" performed by Ursula Oppens and Frederic Rzewski for Music at the Crossroads on February 11, 1986, "Saturation Blue" performed on March 14, 1986, by The Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, "Folk Tales 88'" performed by The Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra on July 9, 1988, "Transversion I OP. 6" performed February 22 & 23, 1991 by The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, "What A Man" (dedicated to the Late Mayor of Chicago Harold Washington), performed by the Black Repertory Ensemble, "Impressions 1" Performed by the SEM Ensemble, 1997, "2000 Plus The Twelfth Step" performed by the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, 1999. "Tomorrow's Song, As Yesterday Sings Today" performed by the American Composers Orchestra, 2000. "Mergertone" performed by the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, in Ostrava, Czech Republic 2009.

In addition to teaching privately, Dr. Abrams has taught composition and improvisation classes at the Banff Center in Canada, Columbia University in New York City, Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, the New England Conservatory in Boston, Mass, the BMI composers workshop in New York City, and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.

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