Mwata Bowden

Mwata Bowden ( born October 11, 1947 in Memphis / Tennessee) is an American jazz musician (clarinet, saxophone).

Life and work

Bowden came at the age of ten years to Chicago, where he student of the legendary Captain Walter Dyett was at the DuSable High School, where learned had also musicians such as Nat King Cole, Johnny Griffin, Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Fred Hopkins and Richard Davis. He then studied at the American Conservatory of Music classical music.

After studying Bowden toured with the rhythm and blues group Chi - Lites. In 1974 he became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM ), in the big band he worked closely with Muhal Richard Abrams. He also taught at a junior high school and studied until 1979 composition at the Governor's State University.

He then continued to work with the Big Band of the AACM, the group 8 Bold Souls under Edward Wilkerson, Muhammad Ameen, Nicole Mitchell ( Arc of O, 2012) and others, and was active in The Miyumi Project and the Power Trio Tatsu Aoki under. In addition to clarinet and saxophone, he also plays instruments such as flute and didgeridoo. He teaches at the University of Chicago, the jazz ensemble he directs. He is currently the first chairman of the AACM.