Lester Bowie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lester Bowie
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Bowie performing in the mid-1990s
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 11, 1941 Frederick, Maryland, U.S. |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | November 8, 1999 (aged 58) Brooklyn, New York |
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| Years active | 1965–1999 |
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Lester Bowie (born October 11, 1941 – died November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a key member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). He also helped start the famous group called the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
About Lester Bowie
Lester Bowie was born in Bartonsville, Maryland, in the United States. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. When he was just five years old, he began learning to play the trumpet. His father was a professional musician and taught him.
As he grew up, Lester played with many different kinds of musicians. He performed with blues artists like Little Milton and Albert King. He also played with rhythm and blues stars such as Solomon Burke and Rufus Thomas. In 1965, he became the music director for Fontella Bass, who was also his wife at the time. He also helped create the Black Artists Group (BAG) in St. Louis.
In 1966, Lester moved to Chicago. There, he worked as a studio musician, playing for recordings. He met other important musicians like Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell. He joined the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). This group was known for its new and experimental jazz music.
In 1968, Lester Bowie, along with Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, and Malachi Favors, started the Art Ensemble of Chicago. This group became very famous for its unique sound and exciting live shows. Lester stayed with this group for the rest of his life. He also played in Jack DeJohnette's New Directions quartet.
Lester Bowie traveled and lived in places like Jamaica and Nigeria. He played and recorded music with the famous Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. When he performed with the Art Ensemble, Lester often wore a white lab coat. He also styled his goatee beard into two points. This look was a memorable part of the group's stage shows.
His Music Style
In 1984, Lester Bowie started his own group called Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy. This group had nine brass musicians. With this group, Lester showed how jazz music could connect with other popular music styles. They played songs by artists like Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and even Marilyn Manson. This was a different approach from the Art Ensemble's more experimental style.
Lester also had a group called the New York Organ Ensemble. It featured talented musicians like James Carter and Amina Claudine Myers. In the mid-1980s, he was part of a jazz "supergroup" called The Leaders. This group included Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, Famoudou Don Moye, Kirk Lightsey, and Cecil McBee. Around this time, he even played the opening theme music for The Cosby Show!
Lester Bowie was known for his adventurous and often funny approach to music. He used many different trumpet sounds, like slides, loud blasts, and growls. He loved reggae and ska music. He even wrote a song called "Ska Reggae Hi-Bop." He performed it with the Skatalites and James Carter.
In 1993, Lester Bowie played on the album Black Tie White Noise by the famous musician David Bowie. There was even a song on the album named after him, "Looking for Lester." (It's important to know that Lester Bowie and David Bowie were not related!)
Lester Bowie passed away in 1999 from liver cancer in his home in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York. The next year, he was honored by being added to the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. In 2001, the Art Ensemble of Chicago released an album called Tribute to Lester to honor him. In 2020, a mural featuring Lester Bowie was painted in his hometown of Frederick, Maryland.
Images for kids
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Lester Bowie at the New Jazz Festival Moers, 1978
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Lester Bowie with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Jazz Festival Zeltweg, 1983
See also
In Spanish: Lester Bowie para niños
