David Amram
Musical compartments mean nothing to David Amram, whose compositions and activities have crossed fearlessly back and forth between the classical and jazz worlds, as well as those of Latin jazz, folk, television, and film music. In addition to his rare (to jazz) specialty, the French horn, Amram has also recorded on piano, recorder, Spanish guitar, and various percussion instruments.
Amram spent a year at the Oberlin College Conservatory (1948) but graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in history in 1952. His long association with Latin music began in 1951 in D.C. when he played horn and percussion in the Buddy Rowell Latin band while also serving as a classical horn player in the National Symphony Orchestra. Stationed with the Seventh Army in Europe, Amram recorded with Lionel Hampton in Paris in 1955, and then returned to New York later that year to join Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop, performing with Mingus and Oscar Pettiford. Amram led a quartet with tenor saxophonist George Barrow that made an album for Decca in 1957 and later played regularly at New York's Five Spot in 1963-1965. However, Amram's career gravitated mostly over to the classical side after the 1950s, producing orchestral and instrumental pieces, incidental music (his score for Archibald MacLeish's J.B. won a Pulitzer prize), and other works which attracted enough respect to have the New York Philharmonic sign him on as its first composer-in-residence (1966-1967).
In 1977, Amram sailed on the cruise ship Daphne from New Orleans to Havana with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and Earl "Fatha" Hines, who were among the first U.S. citizens to legally visit Cuba in 16 years. An exciting live recording of Amram's "En Memoria de Chano Pozo" was made in Havana with members of Irakere (including Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D'Rivera) and several visiting Americans, which can be heard on the album Havana/New York (Flying Fish). Amram's Cuban visit received extensive news coverage at the time and also provided many Americans with their first glimpse of Irakere.
Most of Amram's available recordings can also be found on Flying Fish. In addition, the open-minded Amram can be heard playing bouncy French horn, recorder, and piano obligatos on some bizarre 1971 tracks by beat poet Allen Ginsberg (sample titles: "Vomit Express" and "Going to San Diego"), later released on John Hammond's eponymous label.
© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo
Similar artists
Discography
16 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
-
Splendor in the Grass Plus The Manchurian Candidate (Original Soundtracks)
Film Soundtracks - Released by The Sound of the Screen on 17 Mar 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
On The Waterfront: On Broadway (Original Broadway Soundtrack)
Film Soundtracks - Released by Varese Sarabande on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
At Home / Around The World
World - Released by Flying Fish on 1 Jan 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
David Amram: Triple Concerto & Elegy for Violin and Orchestra
David Amram, The David Amram Jazz Quintet, Howard Weiss, David Zinman, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Jazz - Released by Flying Fish on 1 Jan 1977
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Never Too Many Sunsets: Three Generations
David Amram, Ron Whitehead, Frank Messina
Experimental - Released by sonaBLAST! Records on 17 Aug 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Chamber Music of David Amram
Chamber Music - Released by Urlicht on 18 May 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Pull My Daisy (Live)
David Amram, David Amram Quartet
Jazz - Released by Bridge Records on 26 Sep 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live in Germany (1954-2013)
Jazz - Released by After The Fall Records on 16 Mar 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dangerland (Love People Not Guns)
Pop - Released by EARecords on 15 Mar 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Portrait
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on 1 Dec 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Manchurian Candidate Theme (From "The Manchurian Candidate" Original Soundtrack)
Film Soundtracks - Released by Soundtrack Records on 28 Feb 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Manchurian Candidate (Original Soundtrack Theme)
Film Soundtracks - Released by Soundtrack Records on 10 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Young Savages (Soundtrack "Harold's Way")
Pop - Released by JB Production CH on 21 Feb 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Some Soul From Seoul (Manchurian Candidate Soundtrack (1962))
Pop - Released by JB Production CH on 4 Aug 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo