"An American Original", "the Renaissance man of American music" -- these are just two of the most striking phrases used to try to capture the experience and spirit of hornist/composer/conductor David Amram, who played at Passim's on March 30th 1996.
As a performer, David plays horn, piano, guitar, numerous flutes and whistles, percussion, and various folk instruments, in addition to conducting. He has composed orchestral and chamber works, operas, and scores for theater and film, including Splendor in the Grass and The Manchurian Candidate. His style ranges from classical through jazz and into folk and ethnic idioms, assimilating elements of each into the other. He's committed to passing the joy of music on to the younger generation, participating in many composer-in-residence programs, including one this past year in Boston that involved a whirlwind of activities at public schools, music schools, and universities. In another Boston connection, his papers are housed in Mugar Library at Boston University.
David has been a pioneer in many areas. Starting with a classical music education -- playing extra horn with the National Symphony while attending George Washington University -- he soon became a pioneer in jazz horn along with Julius Watkins. He pioneered jazz/poetry readings with Jack Kerouac in 1957. He was the first music director for Shakespeare in the Park, starting in 1956, and the first composer-in-residence with the NY Philharmonic in 1966. He has long been acknowledged as a pioneer in what is now called "world" or "multicultural" music.
It is impossible in this small space to list all the activities David participates in (leads, usually) or the honors accrued (four honorary doctorates, for example). Some of his talents will be on display at Passim's in an eclectic evening of jazz, poetry, and ethnic music. His wife, singer-songwriter Lora Lee Amram, three children (ages 16, 15, and 12), and friends will share the stage and make it a friendly family event, with all the horn players in the audience invited to participate in a grand finale, a blues in F. David says, "No prior experience required, just know the tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords!"
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