Leroy Jenkins (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leroy Jenkins
|
|
|---|---|
Jenkins in the 1980s
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | March 11, 1932 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | February 24, 2007 (aged 74) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Contemporary classical music, Avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, musician |
| Instruments | Violin, Viola |
| Years active | 1960s–2007 |
| Labels | India Navigation, Black Saint; Pi Recordings |
| Associated acts | AACM, Revolutionary Ensemble, Creative Construction Company |
Leroy Jenkins (born March 11, 1932 – died February 24, 2007) was an amazing American musician and composer. He was known for playing the violin and viola in a unique style. Jenkins was a key figure in modern classical music and a type of jazz called avant-garde jazz. He created many new sounds and ideas in music.
Contents
Growing Up with Music
Jenkins was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. He grew up in a busy home with his sister, mother, two aunts, and grandmother. Music was always around him. He loved listening to famous musicians like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.
When Leroy was about eight years old, he heard his aunt's boyfriend play the violin. He was so impressed that he begged his mother for one. She bought him a small, red violin for twenty-five dollars.
Leroy started taking violin lessons right away. He soon played at St. Luke's Baptist Church. A girl named Ruth Jones, who later became the famous singer Dinah Washington, often played piano with him. Leroy also joined the church choir and orchestra. He performed his violin at many church events.
High School and College Years
As a teenager, Jenkins went to DuSable High School. The school didn't have an orchestra, so he switched to playing the clarinet and alto saxophone. During this time, he learned a lot from the bandleader "Captain" Walter Dyett.
After high school, Jenkins went to Florida A&M University. There, he started playing the violin again. In 1961, he earned a degree in music education. He then moved to Mobile, Alabama, where he taught music in public schools for four years.
A Career in Creative Music
In the mid-1960s, Jenkins returned to Chicago and taught in the public school system. He went to an event by the AACM. This group played very new and exciting music.
Leroy was both confused and thrilled by the music. He joined in with his violin during a group improvisation. He realized this was a new way to play his instrument. He felt he could truly "soar" and play without old rules.
Jenkins rehearsed and performed with the AACM for about four years. He made his first recording in 1967 on an album called Levels and Degrees of Light.
Forming New Groups
During this time, Jenkins started playing in a trio with other AACM members, Anthony Braxton and Leo Smith. They recorded an album called 3 Compositions of New Jazz in 1968.
In 1969, the trio moved to Paris, France. There, they met drummer Steve McCall. They formed a group called the Creative Construction Company. In Paris, Jenkins played with many famous musicians, including Archie Shepp and Ornette Coleman.
In 1970, Jenkins moved to New York City. He lived with Ornette Coleman for several months. Coleman became his mentor, introducing him to many musicians. Jenkins continued to play with the Creative Construction Company. They had a big concert in New York that was recorded and released as two albums.
The Revolutionary Ensemble and Beyond
After the Creative Construction Company, Jenkins formed a new group called the Revolutionary Ensemble. He played with bassist Sirone and percussionist Jerome Cooper. This group played together for about six years.
In the 1970s, Jenkins also performed and recorded with many other great artists. These included Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. In 1974, he was asked to compose a large musical work, which became the album For Players Only. He also recorded an album of duets with drummer Rashied Ali. Over the next 30 years, he released more than a dozen albums under his own name.
Composing and Touring
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jenkins continued to create new music. He formed a band called Sting with two violins, two guitars, electric bass, and drums. He started to get more recognition as a composer. He received many grants and commissions to write music.
His music was performed by famous groups like the Kronos Quartet. In the late 1980s, Jenkins toured and recorded with Cecil Taylor. He also received a special request from Hans Werner Henze to compose an opera. This opera, called Mother of Three Sons, was based on African stories. It was performed in Germany and later in New York City.
The 1990s and 2000s were also very successful for Jenkins as a composer. He created new works like Fresh Faust, a jazz-rap opera, and The Negro Burial Ground, a cantata. He also reunited with the Revolutionary Ensemble. In 2004, he received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship. Jenkins also taught at many American universities, including Duke, Harvard, and Oberlin.
His Final Years
Leroy Jenkins died on February 24, 2007, in New York City. He was 74 years old and passed away from lung cancer. At the time of his death, he was working on two new operas. One was about the history of South Side Chicago, and the other was about famous African-American figures like Paul Robeson and Lena Horne.
Awards and Recognition
Leroy Jenkins received many important awards and honors throughout his career.
- In 2006, he won the ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize for his "Concerto for Improvised Violin and Orchestra."
- He was nominated for a United States Artists Fellowship in 2006.
- He received a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 2004.
- His work "The Mother of Three Sons" won a New York Dance and Performance Bessie Awards in 1992.
- He was recognized in polls by Downbeat Magazine and Jazz Magazine multiple times for his violin playing and overall talent.
Teaching and Residencies
Jenkins shared his musical knowledge by teaching and holding special residencies at many institutions:
- He was an Artist in Residence at the California Institute of the Arts in 2002.
- He was a Composer in Residence at the Other Minds Festival in 2000.
- He also taught as a Master Artist in Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in 1993.
- He was a Visiting Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in 1989.
- He held Composer in Residence positions at Oberlin Conservatory in 1975 and 1990.
Professional Groups
Leroy Jenkins was a member of several important musical organizations:
- He was a founding member of the Board of Directors for Meet The Composer.
- He was part of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).
- He was also a member of SESAC, a performing rights organization.
Images for kids
-
Leroy Jenkins playing his violin.
See also
In Spanish: Leroy Jenkins para niños
