Through the body of work he did leave behind, he blazed a trail for inheritors like Akua Dixon, Dierdre Murray, Fred Longborg-Holm, Hank Roberts and Tomeka Reid, among others. Wadud had not been active in recent years, and the jazz scene was poorer for it. Whether soloing or supporting, Wadud is a vital factor in the quintet portion of Blythe's classic recording Illusions. Wadud performed in several settings with Blythe, including an era-defining quintet otherwise featuring drummer Bobby Battle, tubaist Bob Stewart, and either James Blood Ulmer or Kelvyn Bell on guitar. After earning a Masters from SUNY Stonybrook in 1971, Wadud began splitting his time between symphony orchestra work, Broadway pits, and the thriving loft jazz scene in New York City, where his associates included saxophonist Arthur Blythe, flutist James Newton and pianist Anthony Davis. He attended Youngstown State, then Oberlin College, where he converted to Islam - and met Hemphill, who had come to perform at the school. The thriving local jazz scene also nurtured his interests in an interview with Point of Departure in 2014, he recalled listening to Miles Davis and John Coltrane while standing outside a local nightclub. Wadud always praised the level of arts education in Cleveland's public schools, where he received an education on his instruments. Wadud started out playing alto saxophone, but made cello his focus after hearing the instrument in groups led by the stellar saxophonist Albert Ayler, who also hailed from Cleveland. (The idea was quashed by their mother, who insisted he stay in school.) His brother, a guitarist, was recruited by legendary soul group The O'Jays. He grew up in a musical household his father played trumpet and French horn and sang, and his older sister auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera. Abdul Wadud was born Ronald DeVaughn in Cleveland, OH on April 10, 1947.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2023
Categories |