- David Amram
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David Amram (born November 17, 1930) is an American composer, musician, conductor, and writer. As a classical composer and performer, his integration of jazz (including being one of the first noted as an improvising jazz French hornist[1]), ethnic and folk music has led him to work with the likes of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Willie Nelson, Langston Hughes, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein, Sir James Galway, Tito Puente, Mary Lou Williams, Joseph Papp, Arthur Miller, Miles Davis, Arturo Sandoval, Stan Getz, Pete Seeger, Elia Kazan, Odetta, Lord Buckley, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Allen, Machito, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Allen Ginsberg, Nina Simone, Gregory Corso, Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, Hunter Thompson, Johnny Depp and Jack Kerouac throughout the course of his career.
Contents
Biography
David Amram has composed more than 100 orchestral and chamber music works, written many scores for Broadway theater and film, including the scores for the films Splendor in the Grass and The Manchurian Candidate; two operas, including the Holocaust opera, The Final Ingredient, a comic opera Twelfth Night with a libretto by Joseph Papp; and the score for the 1959 film Pull My Daisy, narrated by novelist Jack Kerouac. He is also the author of three books, Vibrations, an autobiography, Offbeat: Collaborating With Kerouac, a memoir, and Upbeat: Nine Lives of a Musical Cat, all published by Paradigm Publishers.
A player of jazz French horn, he also plays piano, numerous flutes and whistles, percussion, and dozens of folkloric instruments from 25 countries, as well as being an improvisational lyricist. He has collaborated with Leonard Bernstein, (who chose him as The New York Philharmonic's first composer-in-residence in 1966[1]), Dizzy Gillespie, Langston Hughes, Dustin Hoffman, Sir James Galway, Willie Nelson, Thelonious Monk, Odetta, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, Charles Mingus, Steve Martin, Lionel Hampton, Johnny Depp, Pete Seeger, and Tito Puente.
Amram's most recent orchestral works include Giants of the Night, (commissioned and premiered by flutist Sir James Galway in 2002); Symphonic Variations on a Song by Woody Guthrie,[2] (commissioned by the Woody Guthrie Foundation in 2007); and Three Songs: A Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (written for and premiered by pianist Jon Nakamatsu in 2009)[3]. He was also chosen as the 2008 Democratic National Convention's Composer In Residence For Public Events. Currently Amram is working on a new orchestral piece, a new chamber work and a new book. He is also the subject of Lawrence Kraman's new documentary feature film David Amram: The First 80 Years.
On November 16th 2011, the eve of his 81st birthday, Amram was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and was recipient of their Jay McShann Lifetime Achievement Award. Three days later he was awarded the 1st Annual Bruce Ricker Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to him by Clint Eastwood's editor Joel Cox. under the auspices of The Paso Digital Film Festival. He is also the recipient of six honorary Doctorates.
Today, as he has for over 50 years, Amram continues to compose music while traveling the world as a conductor, soloist, bandleader, visiting scholar, and narrator in five languages.
All of his concert music is published by C.F. Peters Corporation. Douglas A. Yeager Productions, Ltd represents Amram for all of his live appearances and residencies.
Discography
As leader
Year Album Personnel Label 1957 Jazz Studio No. 6: The Eastern Scene Decca Records 1961 Jazz Portrait Bobby Jaspar, Harold Land, George Barrow Decca Records 1971 No More Walls Jerry Dodgion, Pepper Adams, Candido, Flying Fish Records 1972 Subway Night RCA Records 1977 Havana/New York Flying Fish Records 1977 Triple Concerto Flying Fish Records 1980 At Home/Around the World Flying Fish Records 1982 Latin Jazz Celebration Joe Wilder, Jimmy Knepper, Steve Berrios, George Barrow, Pepper Adams, Jerry Dodgion, Duduka Fonseca, Machito, Victor Venegas, Candido Elektra/Musician 1990 Autobiography Flying Fish Records 1995 Pull My Daisy Premier Records 1996 Final Ingredient: An Opera of the Holocaust Premier 1999 Southern Stories Chrome Records 2002 On the Waterfront Varèse Sarabande As sideman
- Kenny Dorham (1953). "The Art of the Ballad". Prestige Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r352318.
- Lionel Hampton (1955). "Crazy Rhythm". EmArcy. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r140108.
- The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra (1956). "Deep Passion". Impulse!. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r205940.
- The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra (1956). "The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi Fi". Paramount Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r145594.
- Curtis Fuller; Hampton Hawes (1957). "Curtis Fuller and Hampton Hawes with French Horns". New Jazz. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r154087.
- Kenny Dorham; Cannonball Adderley (1959). "Blue Spring". Riverside Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r137825.
- David Bromberg (1971). "David Bromberg". Columbia Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r105657.
- Loudon Wainwright III (1972). "Album III". Columbia/Legacy. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r97213.
- Hannibal Marvin Peterson (1974). "Children of the Fire". Sunrise Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r152424.
- Mary Lou Williams (1975). "Mary Lou's Mass". Smithsonian Folkways. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r130139.
- Betty Carter (1976). "Compact Jazz". Verve Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r158202.
- Steve Goodman (1976). "Words We Can Dance To". Red Pajamas Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r106602.
- Jerry Jeff Walker (1979). "Too Old To Change". Elektra Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r94494.
- Betty Carter (1982). "Whatever Happened to Love?". Verve Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r136440.
- Steve Goodman (1983). "Artistic Hair". Red Pajamas Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r96254.
- London Pops Orchestra (1989). "From London to Broadway". Pickwick Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r84432.
- Tom Chapin (1992). "Billy the Squid". Sony Kids' Music. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r110943.
- Allen Ginsberg (1994). "Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems & Songs". Rhino Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r206395.
- Joanne Shenandoah (1994). "Once in a Red Moon". Canyon Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r219016.
- Randy Crofton (1996). "Duologue". Lyrichord. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r248643.
- Steve Goodman (1996). "The Easter Tapes". Red Pajamas Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r267755.
- T.S. Monk (1997). "Monk On Monk". N2K. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r308238.
- Pete Seeger (1998). "If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope & Struggle". Smithsonian Folkways. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r352002.
- Jerry Jeff Walker (1998). "Lone Wolf: The Best of Jerry Jeff Walker". Warner Archives. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r342768.
- Thunder Bird Sisters (1998). "Still Singin'". Thunder Bird Sisters. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r563261.
- Jack Kerouac (1999). "Reads on the Road". Rykodisc. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r430612.
- Tom Chapin (2001). "Great Big Fun for the Very Little One". Rhino Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r555738.
- Pat Humphries (2001). "Hands". Appleseed. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r512277.
- Lionel Hampton (2001). "Jazz in Paris: Lionel Hampton & His French New Sound". Barclay. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r537793.
- Suzzy & Maggie Roche (2004). "Why the Long Face". Red House. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r710203.
- Morley (2005). "Days Like These". Morley. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r750872.
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti (2005). "Pictures of the Gone World". Synergy. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r729126.
- Nenad Bach (2005). "A Thousand Years of Peace". Orchard Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r789489.
- Allen Ginsberg (2006). "First Blues". Water. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r819573.
- Steve Goodman (2006). "Live at the Earl of Old Town". Red Pajamas Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r853847.
- Alana Amram & The Rough Gems (2007). "Alana Amram & The Rough Gems". Zealous Records. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1270888.
- Norman Savitt (2009). "Norman Savitt and Friends". Balkan Samba Records. http://balkansamba.com/normansavittcd.php.
- Amram was featured in Raffi's hit song "Peanut Butter Sandwich Made With Jam: One for Me and One for David Amram,".
Bibliography
- 2001: Vibrations: The Adventures and Musical Times of David Amram (Thunder's Mouth Press) ISBN 1-56025-308-8
- 2003: Offbeat: Collaborating with Kerouac (Paradigm) ISBN 1-56025-460-2
- 2007: Upbeat: Nine Lives of a Musical Cat (Paradigm) ISBN 1-59451-544-6
- Douglas Brinkley wrote in the introduction to Vibrations: The Adventures and Musical Times of David Amram and Audrey Sprenger wrote the Afterwards (Paradigm, 2008)
References
- ^ a b Ginell, Richard. "David Amram: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-amram-p6012/biography. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ Bratman, David (2 October 2007). "Variations on This Land". San Francisco Classical Voice. http://www.sfcv.org/reviews/variations-land. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "2008 - 2009 Season". Symphony Silicon Valley. http://www.symphonysiliconvalley.org/concerts.php?pagecontID=160. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
External links
Categories:- 20th-century classical composers
- American classical horn players
- American film score composers
- American jazz horn players
- George Washington University alumni
- Living people
- Manhattan School of Music alumni
- Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jewish American musicians
- RCA Records artists
- 1930 births
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