The Black Artists Group (BAG) was a multidisciplinary arts collective that existed in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, from 1968 to 1972. BAG is known for the convergence of free jazz and experimental theater.

Members

Members included saxophonists Julius Hemphill,

Oliver Lake Oliver Lake (born September 14, 1942) is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, poet, and visual artist. He is known mainly for alto saxophone, but he also performs on soprano and flute. During the 1960s, Lake worked with the Black ...

, J. D. Parran,

Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A mem ...

, and Luther Thomas; trumpeters

Baikida Carroll Baikida Carroll (born January 15, 1947) is an American jazz trumpeter. Carroll studied at Southern Illinois University and at the Armed Forces School of Music. Following this he became a member of the Black Artists Group in St. Louis, where he di ...

and

Floyd LeFlore Floyd LeFlore (1940–2014) was a jazz composer, trumpet player, and poet from St. Louis. In 1968, LeFlore helped to found the Black Artists Group (BAG). Biography LeFlore was the nephew of Clarence "Bucky" Jarman, a guitarist also of St. Louis. I ...

; trombonist

Joseph Bowie Joseph Bowie (born October 17, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist and vocalist. The brother of trumpeter Lester Bowie, Joseph is known for leading the jazz-punk group Defunkt and for membership in the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Career Bowi ...

; drummers Bensid Thigpen and Charles "Bobo" Shaw; bassist Bobby Reed, Arzinia Richardson; stage directors Malinke Robert Elliott, Vincent Terrell, and Muthal Naidoo; actors LeRoi S. Shelton; poets Ajule (Bruce) Rutlin and

Shirley LeFlore Shirley LeFlore (1940 - 2019) was one of St. Louis' most influential performance art poets. Before she became a board member for Word In Motion, she split her time between performances in New York City and teaching creative writing at the Universi ...

; dancers Georgia Collins and

Luisah Teish Luisah Teish ( ; also known as Iyanifa Fajembola Fatunmise) is a teacher and an author, most notably of ''Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals.''Casey, Laura. "There's magic between plants, food and beauty" ...

; and painters Emilio Cruz and Oliver Lee Jackson. While Jackson was not officially a member, he was deeply involved with BAG and is usually listed as a member. In addition,

Ronnie Burrage Ronnie Burrage (born James Ronaldo Burrage October 19, 1959) is an American jazz drummer. His style draws from jazz, funk, and soul. Career He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Burrage sang in the St. Louis Cathedral boys' choir ...

was considered one of the youngest members (11 and 12 years old) of BAG as he began to perform with various members in 1971 and 1972.

History

Members Oliver Lake, Lester Bowie, and Floyd LeFlore studied music in the jazz program at Sumner High School. They continued music education at Lincoln University alongside Julius Hemphill. Several members were drafted into military service, and all played music in St. Louis through the 1960s. Frustration with discrimination and limited opportunities brought the musical artists together with black actors marginalized from the theater scene, and they began collaborating on artistic productions around LaClede Town, the Circle Coffee Shop, and Berea Church. While strongly influenced by Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, the Black Artists Group was unique in including artists from dance, theater, visual arts, and creative writing. They incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under the name "The Black Artists' Group, Inc" in 1968. BAG received major grant funding from the

Danforth Foundation The Danforth Foundation was one of the largest private nonprofit foundations in the St. Louis Metropolitan region. It closed its doors in 2011 after 84 years of operation and more than a billion dollars in grants distributed. Background Establish ...

and the Rockefeller Foundation. In July 1969, the group paid $1 annual rent for a building at 2665 Washington Blvd. Many of the BAG members relocated to Paris and then New York in the 1970s. A recording of a 1973 performance in Paris was released on an LP titled '' In Paris, Aries 1973'', the only album ever issued under the BAG name.

Legacy

BAG inspired other groups and artistic collectives to form around the United States and influenced Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

, Julius Hemphill and

formed the African Continuum and organized the 1971 multimedia concert "Images: Sons/Ancestors" at

Powell Symphony Hall Powell Hall (formerly known as the St. Louis Theater and Powell Symphony Hall) is the home of the St. Louis Symphony. It was named after Walter S. Powell, a local St. Louis businessman, whose widow donated $1 million towards the purchase and us ...

, which was delayed by a bomb threat. They went on to form the

World Saxophone Quartet The World Saxophone Quartet is an American jazz ensemble founded in 1977, incorporating elements of free jazz, R&B, funk and South African jazz into their music. The original members were Julius Hemphill (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), ...

and were notable in the "loft-jazz" scene of New York's underground in the 1980s.

References

External links

BAG page
from

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

site * Ben Looker
"A City Built to Music"
''The Commonspace'', December 2004. Article on BAG's music wing. *Benjamin Looker
"Poets of Action: The Saint Louis Black Artists' Group, 1968-1972"
AllAboutJazz, December 19, 2004. * * * {{Authority control American jazz ensembles from Missouri Black Artists' Group Musical collectives American artist groups and collectives Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1972 American art movements Organizations based in St. Louis Jazz organizations African-American arts organizations Jazz musicians from Missouri

Members

History

Legacy

See also

References

External links