Alan Silva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Silva
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Silva in Belgium, 1969
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alan Lee da Silva |
| Born | 22 January 1939 Bermuda, British Empire |
| Genres | Jazz, free jazz, avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Double bassist, songwriter, bandleader, composer, keyboardist |
| Instruments | Upright bass, keyboards, electronic keyboard, trumpet, electric violin, sarangi |
| Labels | BYG Actuel, ESP Disk, Impulse!, Blue Note, (CBS, Sony, Columbia, Soul Note, Black Saint, JAPO, Hathut, MPS, ESP-Disk |
| Associated acts | Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, Frank Wright, Bobby Few, Bill Dixon, François Cotinaud, Sunny Murray, Globe Unity Orchestra, Andrew Hill, Dave Burrell |
Alan Lee da Silva (born January 22, 1939, in Bermuda) is an American musician. He is famous for playing many instruments, especially the double bass, in a style called free jazz. He has also played keyboards, violin, cello, and trumpet.
About Alan Silva
Alan Silva was born in Bermuda. His mother was from the Azores (part of Portugal), and his father was Bermudian. When he was five, Alan moved to the United States with his mother. He became a U.S. citizen when he was about 18 or 19 years old. He later chose the stage name Alan Silva.
Even though he left Bermuda young, Alan always felt connected to his birthplace. He grew up in Harlem, New York City. This is where he first started learning to play the trumpet. Later, he switched to studying the upright bass.
Alan Silva is known as one of the most creative bass players in jazz music. He has played with many famous musicians in the world of avant-garde jazz. Some of these include Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Sunny Murray, and Archie Shepp.
In 1964, Alan Silva was part of the "October Revolution in Jazz." This event was important for the start of the free jazz movement. He also performed on the 1967 live album Albert Ayler in Greenwich Village.
Since the early 1970s, Alan Silva has mostly lived in Paris, France. There, he started a group called the Celestrial Communication Orchestra. This group plays free jazz using many different instruments. In the 1990s, he began playing the electronic keyboard. He also uses the electric violin and electric sarangi in his music.
In the 1980s, Silva helped open a music school in Paris. It was called I.A.C.P. (Institute for Art, Culture and Perception). He wanted it to be like a jazz conservatory, similar to schools for classical music in France.
Since about the year 2000, he has performed more often as a bassist and bandleader. He frequently plays at the annual Vision Festivals in New York City.
Music by Alan Silva
Alan Silva has released many albums as a leader or co-leader. Some of his early albums include Skillfulness (1969) and Luna Surface (1969) with his Celestrial Communication Orchestra. He also released Inner Song in 1974, where he played solo bass, piano, organ, and sang.
He has continued to release music throughout his career. Some of his later albums include A Hero's Welcome: Pieces for Rare Occasions (1999) and Emancipation Suite (2002). He also released The All-Star Game in 2003 with other jazz greats like Marshall Allen and William Parker.
Collaborations
Alan Silva has played with many other musicians as a sideman. Here are some of the artists he has worked with:
- Albert Ayler: He played on albums like Albert Ayler in Greenwich Village and Love Cry.
- Dave Burrell: He contributed to albums such as Echo and After Love.
- Bill Dixon: He appeared on several of Bill Dixon's albums, including Bill Dixon in Italy Volume One.
- Bobby Few: He played on albums like More Or Less Few and Rhapsody in Few.
- Sunny Murray: He was featured on Sunny Murray and Big Chief.
- Sun Ra: He played with Sun Ra on albums like Sun Ra-Featuring Pharoah Sanders and Black Harold and It's After the End of the World.
- Archie Shepp: He played on Poem for Malcolm and Live at the Pan-African Festival.
- Cecil Taylor: He contributed to important albums like Unit Structures and Conquistador!.
- Frank Wright: He played on Center of the World and Last Polka in Nancy?.
- Others: He also collaborated with artists like Jacques Coursil, the Globe Unity Orchestra, Andrew Hill, and William Parker.
Filmography
- 2001 – Inside Out in the Open (2001). This film was directed by Alan Roth.
