Malachi Favors (August 22, 1927 – January 30, 2004) was an American jazz bassist who played with the

Art Ensemble of Chicago The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that grew out of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) in the late 1960s. The ensemble integrates many jazz styles and plays many instruments, including "little ...

Biography

"Favors's tendency to dissemble about his age was a well-known source of mirth to fellow musicians of his generation". Most reference works give his year of birth of 1937, but, following his death, his daughter stated that it was 1927. Favors primarily played the

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

, but also played the

electric bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and sc ...

, banjo,

zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat ...

gong A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...

, and other instruments. He began playing

at the age of 15 and began performing professionally upon graduating from high school. Early performances included work with Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard. By 1965, he was a founder of the

Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1965 in Chicago by pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, pianist Jodie Christian, drummer Steve McCall, and composer Phil Cohran. The AACM is devot ...

and a member of

Muhal Richard Abrams Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the free jazz medium. He recorded and toured the Uni ...

' Experimental Band. At some point he added the word "Maghostut" to his name and because of this he is commonly listed as "Malachi Favors Maghostut". Musically he is most associated with

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

, and particularly

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...

. Favors was a protégé of Chicago bassist

Wilbur Ware Wilbur Bernard Ware (September 8, 1923 – September 9, 1979) was an American jazz double bassist.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 674. Oxford University Press He was a regular bassist for t ...

. His first known recording was a 1953 session with tenor saxophonist

Paul Bascomb Paul Bascomb ( – December 2, 1986) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, noted for his extended tenure with Erskine Hawkins. He is a 1979 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Career Bascomb was a founding member of the Bama Sta ...

. He made an LP with Chicago pianist Andrew Hill (1957). Favors began working with Roscoe Mitchell in 1966; this group eventually became the

. Favors also worked outside the group, with artists including Sunny Murray,

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

, and

Dewey Redman Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played al ...

. Prominent records include ''Natural & Spiritual'' (solo bass, 1978) and '' Sightsong'' (duets with Muhal Richard Abrams, 1975). In 1994 he played with

Roman Bunka Roman Bunka (2 December 1951 – 12 June 2022) was a German guitarist, oud player and composer, active in world music and jazz fusion bands. He lived most of his life in Munich, Bavaria, where he was involved in various musical crossover pro ...

(Oud) at Berlin Jazz Fest and recorded the 'German Critics Poll Winner' album, ''Color Me Cairo''. Favors died from pancreatic cancer in January 2004, at the age of 76.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* ''Natural & Spiritual'' ( AECO, 1978) * '' 2 x 4'' (Southport, 1999) with

Tatsu Aoki (born September 19, 1957) is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese music (ie: taiko and shamisen), educator and experimental filmmaker. In his career as Chicago's Jazz and creative improvisor, he is mostly known as a long-standi ...

* '' Live at Last'' (Rogueart, 2006)

With
Art Ensemble of Chicago The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that grew out of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) in the late 1960s. The ensemble integrates many jazz styles and plays many instruments, including "little ...

As sideman

With

Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (born Leroy Bland; May 10, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter who was a prominent member of Sun Ra's band. Biography He began playing the trumpet at age 13 in his native New York City. One of the first groups he performed with wa ...

* ''

Liquid Magic ''Liquid Magic'' is an album by trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah's Quartet featuring saxophonist Charles Brackeen, bassist Malachi Favors, and drummer Alvin Fielder which was recorded in 1987 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.

'' (Silkheart, 1987) With Fred Anderson * '' Black Horn Long Gone'' (Southport, 1993) With

Charles Brackeen Charles Brackeen (born March 13, 1940 in Eufaula, Oklahoma, United States; died November 5, 2021, Carson, California) was an American jazz saxophonist who primarily played tenor saxophone, but also played soprano saxophone. He was previously ma ...

* '' Bannar'' (Silkheart, 1987) With Bright Moments:

Joseph Jarman Joseph Jarman (September 14, 1937 – January 9, 2019) was an American jazz musician, composer, poet, and Shinshu Buddhist priest. He was one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and a member of the ...

Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre (March 24, 1936 – November 9, 2013) ...

, Kahil El'Zabar and Adegoke Steve Colson * '' Return of the Lost Tribe'' (Delmark, 1998) With

* ''Color Me Cairo'' (Enja, 1995) With Kahil El'Zabar * ''Sacred Love'' (Sound Aspects, 1985) * ''Another Kind of Groove'' (Sound Aspects, 1986) * ''The Ancestors Are Amongst Us'' (Katalyst Entertainment, 1987) * ''Alika Rising at Leverkusener Jazztage'' (Sound Aspects, 1989) * ''

Renaissance of the Resistance ''Renaissance of the Resistance'' is an album by American jazz percussionist Kahil El'Zabar and his Ritual Trio, which also includes saxophonist Ari Brown and bassist Malachi Favors. It was recorded in 1993 and released on Delmark. Reception I ...

'' (Delmark, 1993) * '' Big Cliff'' (Delmark, 1994) * '' Jitterbug Junction'' (CIMP, 1997) * ''

Conversations Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus ...

'' (Delmark, 1999) with

* '' Africa N'Da Blues'' (Delmark, 1999) featuring Pharoah Sanders With

Dennis González Dennis González, often credited Dennis Gonzalez (August 15, 1954March 15, 2022), was an American jazz trumpeter, artist, and educator from Texas. He hosted ''Miles Out'' on KERA-FM for over twenty years. Early life González was born in Abil ...

* '' Stefan'' (Silkheart, 1987) * ''

Namesake A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another. History The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake", which originates in English Bible translations ...

'' (Silkheart, 1987) With Andrew Hill * ''

So in Love "So in Love" is a popular song, written by Cole Porter, from his musical ''Kiss Me, Kate'' (opening on Broadway in 1948), which was based on Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew''. It was sung in the show by Patricia Morison, reprised by Al ...

'' (Warwick, 1960) With Maurice McIntyre *'' Humility in the Light of the Creator'' (Delmark, 1969) With Roscoe Mitchell * '' Before There Was Sound'' (Nessa, 1965; issued 2011) * ''

Nonaah ''Nonaah'' is a double album recorded in 1976-77 by Roscoe Mitchell. It was originally released on the Nessa label in 1977 and features solo, duo, trio and quartet performances by Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Malachi Favors, Muhal Richard Abrams ...

'' (Nessa, 1977) * ''

The Flow of Things ''The Flow of Things'' is a live album by jazz saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell recorded in 1986 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1986) * '' Hey Donald'' (Delmark, 1995) * '' The Day and the Night'' (Dizim, 1997) With Sunny Murray * '' Sunshine'' (BYG, 1969) * ''

Homage to Africa ''Homage to Africa'' (also released as ''Hommage to Africa'') is an album by American free jazz drummer Sunny Murray. It was recorded in Paris in August 1969, and released on the BYG Records, BYG Actuel label in 1970. On the album, Murray is joined ...

'' (BYG, 1969) * ''

An Even Break (Never Give a Sucker) ''An Even Break (Never Give a Sucker)'' is an album by American free jazz drummer Sunny Murray. It was recorded in Paris in November 1969, and released on the BYG Records, BYG Actuel label in 1970. On the album, Murray is joined by saxophonists Bya ...

'' (BYG, 1970) * '' Live at Moers Festival'' (Moers Music, 1979) With

* '' Tarik'' (BYG, 1969) With

* ''

Blasé Blasé may refer to: * ''Blasé'' (album), an album by Archie Shepp * "Blasé" (song), a 2015 song by Ty Dolla Sign {{disambiguation ...

'' (BYG, 1969) With

Alan Silva Alan Silva (born Alan Lee da Silva; January 22, 1939 in Bermuda) is an United States of America, American free jazz double bassist and Keyboard instrument, keyboard player. Biography Silva was born a British subject to an Azores, Azorean/Portug ...

*''

Luna Surface ''Luna Surface'' is an album by multi-instrumentalist Alan Silva, recorded on August 17, 1969 and released later that year on the BYG label as part of their Actuel series. His first recording as leader, it features Silva on violin along with a la ...

'' (BYG, 1969) *''

Seasons A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

'' (BYG, 1971) With

Wadada Leo Smith Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (born December 18, 1941) is an American trumpeter and composer, working primarily in the fields of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation. He was one of three finalists for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music for ''Ten Free ...

* '' Reflectativity'' (Tzadik, 2000) * '' Golden Quartet'' (Tzadik, 2000) * '' The Year of the Elephant'' (Pi, 2002)

References

External links

"A Fireside Chat with Malachi Favors"
JazzWeekly.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Favors, Malachi American jazz bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists 1927 births 2004 deaths Art Ensemble of Chicago members Jazz musicians from Illinois Guitarists from Mississippi Deaths from cancer in Illinois Deaths from pancreatic cancer People from Lexington, Mississippi 20th-century American bass guitarists Guitarists from Chicago Jazz musicians from Mississippi 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians