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Roscoe Mitchell
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Roscoe Mitchell

American musician
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Roscoe Mitchell is an American musician, composer, and innovator in the field of free jazz. Born in Chicago in 1940, he began forming jazz groups he called "art ensembles" in 1966. These ensembles evolved into the internationally renowned Art Ensemble of Chicago, a cooperative group known for its unique approach to sound, structure, and form.12

The Art Ensemble of Chicago embraced a wide range of African and African American musical styles, preferring to call their work "Great Black Music". Unlike the prevailing fast-paced free jazz of the time, they featured improvisations with diverse tempos, dynamics, and textures. The musicians were virtuosos on multiple instruments, including percussion, and explored extended instrumental techniques. Mitchell also pursued an independent career, composing significant works such as Nonaah and The Maze.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Art Ensemble of Chicago
  2. free jazz

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