Amina Claudine Myers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amina Claudine Myers
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| Background information | |
| Born | March 21, 1942 Blackwell, Arkansas, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, Gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, organ |
| Years active | 1969–present |
Amina Claudine Myers (born March 21, 1942) is an amazing American musician. She is known for playing jazz piano and organ, singing, writing music, and arranging it.
Contents
About Amina Claudine Myers
Early Life and Music Lessons
Amina Claudine Myers was born in Blackwell, Arkansas. Her great-aunt, a schoolteacher, and her great-uncle, a carpenter who played several instruments, mostly raised her. She started learning piano when she was about four years old. She even took lessons at Sacred Hearts Catholic School.
When Amina was seven, her family moved to Roosevelt, a Black community near Dallas, Texas. She continued taking piano and violin lessons. Because of money, she decided to focus on the piano. She had weekly lessons, each lasting fifteen minutes. In high school, she began to learn some European classical music. However, her family moved back to Blackwell, which interrupted her studies.
College and Moving to Chicago
Amina went to Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas. She studied music education there. In her second year, she got a chance to play at The Safari Room in Memphis, Tennessee. This job did not last long because she did not know enough songs yet.
After college, in 1963, she moved to Chicago. She taught music at an elementary school. She also took classes at Roosevelt University. In Chicago, she worked with famous musicians like Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons. She was one of the performers at the AACM's second concert. In the late 1960s, she added "Amina" to her name.
Moving to New York and Touring
In 1976, Amina Claudine Myers moved to New York City. There, she spent more time writing music. She even wrote music for Off-Broadway shows. She kept performing and recording as a pianist and organist. Around 1978, she started touring in Europe. She performed with the Lester Bowie Quintet and his New York Organ Ensemble.
Amina Claudine Myers' Music
Amina Claudine Myers has released many albums as a leader. She has also played with many other talented musicians.
Albums as a Leader
- Poems for Piano: The Piano Music of Marion Brown (1979)
- Song for Mother E (1980)
- Salutes Bessie Smith (1980)
- The Circle of Time (1983)
- Jumping in the Sugar Bowl (1984)
- Country Girl (1986)
- Amina (1987)
- In Touch (1989)
- Augmented Variations (2004)
- Sama Rou (2016)
Albums with Other Musicians
Amina Claudine Myers has collaborated with many other artists. Here are a few examples:
- With Muhal Richard Abrams: Lifea Blinec (1978), Spihumonesty (1979)
- With the Art Ensemble of Chicago: Salutes the Chicago Blues Tradition (1993)
- With Lester Bowie: African Children (1978), The Fifth Power (1978)
- With Henry Threadgill: X-75 Volume 1 (1979), Subject to Change (1985)
- With James Blood Ulmer: Blue Blood (2000)
See also
In Spanish: Amina Claudine Myers para niños
