Black Artists Group

The Black Artists Group was an association of artists in the field of avant-garde jazz, which was founded in St. Louis in 1968.

History

The union saw itself since its inception as a multidisciplinary artist collective. It was founded to improve the situation of an avant-garde African American Music in St. Louis and existed between 1968 and 1972.

The founding members were drummer Philip Wilson, Charles Bobo Shaw, Abdullah Yakub. Famous musicians from this group were saxophonists Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, JD Parran, Hamiet Bluiett and Luther Thomas, the trumpeter Baikida Carroll, Rasul Siddik and Floyd LeFlore; trombonist Joseph Bowie, the drummer Bensid Thigpen and Charles " Bobo " Shaw and bassist Arzinia Richardson. Other group members were the poet Ajule ( Bruce ) Rutlin and Shirley LeFlore, the dancers Georgia Collins and Luisah Teish and the painter Oliver Jackson and Emilio Cruz. The group also included the music manager Malinke Robert Elliott, Vincent Terrell and Muthal Naidoo. As many musicians after 1970 came out of this circle to New York, the Association began to gradually dissolve. Among others, it emerged the Human Arts Ensemble, the early 70s the albums Under the Sun and Whisper of Dharma grossed. Close relationships had the Black Artists Group for the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM ) of Chicago, where she initially also oriented itself.