September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017

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Pianist Muhal Richard Abrams was born on September 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois.

A pioneering jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader whose work transformed modern improvisation. Born in Chicago, he began his career in the 1940s playing blues and rhythm-and-blues gigs before turning toward jazz, inspired by the innovations of Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell.

In 1961, Abrams founded the Experimental Band, a rehearsal group that became a proving ground for new sounds and ideas. This effort led to the creation of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 1965, an influential collective that nurtured artists such as Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Throughout his career, Abrams blended free improvisation with classical and avant-garde traditions, composing for small ensembles, big bands, and orchestras alike. His highlights include acclaimed recordings like Levels and Degrees of Light and Vision Towards Essence, as well as international recognition as a composer of both jazz and contemporary classical works.

Honored as an NEA Jazz Master in 2010, Abrams is remembered as a visionary who expanded the language of jazz and built platforms that empowered generations of creative musicians.

Abrams is featured in a live excerpt video from Millennium Park on August 16, 2007.

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