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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBOWIE, Lester(b 11 Dec. '41, Frederick MD; d 8 Nov. '99, Brooklyn, of cancer) Trumpet, flugelhorn, composer. Worked with R&B bands, with wife Fontella Bass; became founder member of AACM and of Art Ensemble of Chicago. Album under his name Numbers 1&2 '67 on Nessa was effectively the first Art Ensemble LP; to Europe with them '69; wrote and recorded Gettin' To Know Y'all on MPS with Baden Baden Free Jazz Orchestra, an international 50-piece all-star band including Kenny Wheeler, Albert Mangelsdorff, Jarman, Mitchell. With humour, full dark tone, smears and growls, he was called the Cootie Williams of the avant garde, described himself as a 'research trumpet player'. Trumpet solo 'Jazz Death?' on Congliptuous '68 (by the Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble) provides answer to question 'Is jazz as we know it dead, yet?' Own LPs include Fast Last '74 with Julius Hemphill, Cecil McBee, Phillip Wilson and others, Rope-A-Dope '75 included Favors and Don Moye, Hello Dolly '87 with Hemphill and McBee, all on Muse; Fifth Power '78 on Black Saint with Arthur Blythe; Duet '78 with Wilson on Improvising Artists; The Great Pretender '81 on ECM with Wilson and others marks affectionate strides deeper into repertory: 16-minute title cut with Hamiet Bluiett's baritone sax, Bass and Davis Peaston on back-up vocals was the old Platters hit, and the album also included the theme from Howdy Doody, Bowie tunes 'Rose Drop', 'Rios Negroes', 'Oh, How The Ghost Sings'. All The Magic '82 was a two-disc set with Wilson, Bass, Peaston, others on one disc, solo trumpet on the other; Lester Bowie and his Brass Fantasy made I Only Have Eyes For You '85, Avant Pop '86 on ECM, Twilight Dreams '87 on Venture; Serious Fun and My Way '89-90 on DIW, The Fire This Time '92 on In+Out. Lester Bowie's New York Organ Ensemble made The Organizer and Funky T, Cool T on DIW. He recorded with Polish free jazz combo Milosc on Not Two '94 on Gowi; guest spots on others' albums included Jack DeJohnette's New Directions '78. His brother Joseph Bowie plays trombone on Fast Last and Rope-A-Dope, Frank Lowe LP The Flam '76, etc; he was founder member of St Louis Black Artists Group (BAG), music director for Bass; own LPs incl. In Concert '76 on Sackville (duets with Oliver Lake), I Can't Figure Out (Watcha Doin' To Me) '79, made in Paris with Luther Thomas Saint Louis Creative Ensemble. Another brother Byron plays reeds; played with Joseph in group Defunkt (album on Hannibal '81). |