Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

JARMAN, Joseph

(b 14 September 1937, Pine Bluff AR; d 9 January 2019, Englewood NJ) Reeds, many other instruments; composer, writer, poet, painter, photographer, educator Buddhist priest. Founder member of AACM and of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. To Chicago as a child, where he studied drums under Walter Dyett, then reeds in the U.S. Army. 'Imperfections In A Given Space' '65 was performed with John Cage; his theatre pieces include 'Tribute To The Hard Core' '66, 'Indifferent Piece For Six' '67. He played on all the Art Ensemble records; compositions for that group on record include 'Ericka', 'Fanfare For The Warriors', 'Old Time Southside Street Dance', 'Ohnedaruth', many others. He is also heard on the Lester Bowie album Numbers 1 And 2 '67 (effectively an Art Ensemble album), Roscoe Mitchell LPs Nonaah '77, The Maze '78, all on Nessa; Together Alone '71 on Delmark (duo with Anthony Braxton).

His own albums included Song For and As If It Were The Seasons '67-8 on Delmark (among the earliest and still exciting work from AACM musicians); solo set Sunbound '76 on AECO; Calypso's Smile on AECO compiling duets with Don Moye from '84 and '92; two-disc EgwuAnwu ('Sunsong') on India Navigation, a duo with Moye; The Magic Triangle '79 with Moye added Don Pullen, while Black Paladins and Earth Passage had Moye and others, all on Black Saint; Inheritance '83 with Moye, bassist Fred Hopkins, Geri Allen on keyboards was on Japanese Baybridge. Connecting Spirits '96 on Music and Arts was a duo with Marilyn Crispell, recorded in Madison WI. Quartet Out Of The Mist on Ocean was co-led by Leroy Jenkins, including Myra Melford and bassist Lindsey Horner. He was married to the playwright, journalist, novelist, poet and screenwriter Thulani Davis.