The Art Ensemble Of Chicago

Innovative Avant-Garde Jazz Collective

The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that is notable for its integration of musical styles that span jazz's history, from early New Orleans swing to the most advanced modern improvisations. The ensemble was formed in the late 1960s, emerging from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), a non-profit organization established in Chicago to promote experimental music. The original members included Lester Bowie on trumpet, Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman on saxophones, Malachi Favors Maghostut on bass, and later Famoudou Don Moye on drums and percussion.