Pheeroan akLaff (born Paul Maddox January 27, 1955) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

drummer and percussionist. He began playing in his hometown of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

, with

R & B Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

keyboardist Travis Biggs,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

keyboardist Nimrod “The Grinder” Lumpkin, The Ebony Set and The Last Days. He moved to

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

, and formed a group with saxophonist/flautist/percussionist Dwight Andrews. He debuted with saxophonist Bill Barron in 1975, followed by a tenure in Leo Smith's ‘New Dalta Ahkri’ (1977-1979). akLaff developed a longstanding association with saxophonist and poet

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 Art ...

starting in 1975, which included writing for their fusion ensemble, ‘Jump Up’. He recorded with Lake on and off from 1980-1992. His extensive work as a session musician includes collaborations with prominent jazz musicians

Geri Allen Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. In addition to her career as a performer and bandleader, Allen was also an associate professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh ...

, Andrew Hill,

Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex ...

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chica ...

Don Byron Donald Byron (born November 8, 1958) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet but has also played bass clarinet and saxophone in a variety of genres that includes free jazz and klezmer. Biography His mother w ...

Julius Hemphill Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute. Biography Hemphill was born in Fort Worth, Texas, ...

Henry Threadgill Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He h ...

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

Sonny Sharrock Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock (August 27, 1940 – May 25, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. He was married to singer Linda Sharrock, with whom he recorded and performed. One of only a few prominent guitarists who participated in the firs ...

Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is an eight-time NB ...

and

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Career Early in his career, Workman worke ...

. In 2006 he co-founded Seed Artists in Brooklyn. In 2009, he reestablished his creative partnership 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 ...

after thirty years, and has recorded with him since, including

Ten Freedom Summers ''Ten Freedom Summers'' is a four-disc box set by American trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith. It was released on May 5, 2012, by Cuneiform Records. Smith wrote its compositions intermittently over the course of 34 years, beginning in 1977, ...

, a finalist for the

Pulitzer Prize for Music The Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually in Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first given in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year, and this was eventually converted i ...

in 2013. akLaff currently teaches music at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

Discography

As leader

* 1983: ''Fits Like a Glove'' (

Gramavision Gramavision Records is an American record label founded in 1979. Since 1994 it has been a subsidiary of Rykodisc. The label's music is largely jazz, blues and folk oriented but has touched on many other styles and genres. In 1979, Jonathan F.P. ...

) * 1989: ''Sonogram'' (Mu Works) * 1998: ''Global Mantras'' (Modern Masters)

As sideman

With

*''

Maroons Maroons are descendants of African diaspora in the Americas, Africans in the Americas who escaped from slavery and formed their own settlements. They often mixed with indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous peoples, eventually ethnogenesi ...

'' (Blue Note, 1992) ;With

*''

Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project 1993 ''Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project 1993'' is an album featuring live and studio performances of compositions associated with Charlie Parker arranged and performed by saxophonist Anthony Braxton which was recorded in Switzerland and Germany ...

'' (HatART, 1993,

995 Year 995 (Roman numerals, CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies. * 3 June: Fujiwara no ...

*'' Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 1'' (Leo, 1994) *'' Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 2'' (Leo, 1994) *''

Seven Standards 1995 ''Seven Standards 1995'' is an album by pianist/improviser Anthony Braxton and bassist Mario Pavone's Quintet recorded in 1995 and released on the Knitting Factory Works label.

'' (Knitting Factory Works, 1995) With

*''

Holding Together ''Holding Together'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake recorded in 1975 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1975) s Paul Maddox*''

Prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

'' (Black Saint, 1980) *'' Clevont Fitzhubert'' (Black Saint, 1981) *''

Expandable Language ''Expandable Language'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake recorded in 1984 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1984) *'' Again and Again'' (Gramavision, 1991) *''Zaki'' (hat ART, 1992) *''

Virtual Reality (Total Escapism) ''Virtual Reality (Total Escapism)'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake, which was recorded in 1991 and released on the Gazell label. Reception In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow states "Oliver Lake is heard throughout a ...

'' (Gazell, 1992) With

*'' When Was That?'' (1982) *'' Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket'' (1983) * New Air: ''

Live at Montreal International Jazz Festival ''Live at Montreal International Jazz Festival'' is a live album recorded for the Italian Black Saint label by the improvisational collective New Air featuring Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins and Pheeroan akLaff performing at the Montreal Internat ...

'' (1984) *'' Subject to Change'' (1985) *New Air: '' Air Show No. 1'' (1986) with

Cassandra Wilson Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She is one of the most successful female Jazz singers and has been described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed wi ...

*'' You Know the Number'' (1986) *'' Easily Slip Into Another World'' (1987) *'' Makin' a Move'' (1995) With

Jay Hoggard Jay Hoggard (born September 24, 1954) is an American jazz vibraphonist. Biography Jay Hoggard was raised in a religious family. He was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother taught him how to play piano at ...

*The Right Place (JHVM, 2003) *Something 'Bout Believing (Twinz Records, 1999) *Love Is the Answer (Muse, 1994) *Riverside Dance (India Navigation), 1985 *Love Survives (Gramavision, 1983 With

Craig Harris Craig S. Harris (born September 10, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist, who started working with Sun Ra in 1976. He also has worked with Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal Richard Abrams, and Char ...

*''

Shelter Shelter is a small building giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. Shelter may also refer to: Places * Port Shelter, Hong Kong * Shelter Bay (disambiguation), various locations * Shelter Cove (disambiguation), various locatio ...

'' (JMT 1987) * '' Blackout in the Square Root of Soul'' (JMT, 1988) With Ray Anderson *''What Because'' (Gramavision, 1989) With

*''

Tuskegee Experiments The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male (informally referred to as the Tuskegee Experiment or Tuskegee Syphilis Study) was a study conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and the Cente ...

'' (1992) *''

Bug Music Bug Music was an influential independent music publisher in Los Angeles, California. The company was founded in 1975 by Dan Bourgoise to represent the catalogue of musician Del Shannon. Their clients included Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash, Los L ...

'' (1996) With

*'' Hidden Voices'' (India Navigation, 1979) – with

James Newton James W. Newton (born May 1, 1953) is an American jazz and classical flutist. Biography He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African-American music, inclu ...

*''Variations in Dream-time'' (India Navigation, 1980) *''Episteme'' (Gramavision, 1981) *''Hemispheres'' (Gramavision, 1983) With

*'' One Atmosphere'' (2003) With Uwe Kropinski *''First Time in Manhattan'' (ITM, 1993) With

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...

*'' Sketches from Bamboo'' (Moers Music, 1979) With

Amina Claudine Myers Amina Claudine Myers (born March 21, 1942) is an American jazz pianist, organist, vocalist, composer, and arranger. Biography Born in Blackwell, Arkansas, "Myers was brought up largely by her great-aunt, a schoolteacher, and her great-uncle, a c ...

*''

Song for Mother E ''Song for Mother E'' is the second album by American pianist Amina Claudine Myers featuring performances recorded in 1979 for the Leo label. Reception The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos awarded the album 4 stars stating "Sounds like a big ...

'' (

Leo Records Leo Records is a British record company and label which releases jazz from Russian, American, and British musicians. It concentrates on free jazz. Leo Records was founded in 1979 by Leo Feigin (also known under his broadcasting name Aleksei Le ...

, 1979) With

*'' Seize the Rainbow'' (Enemy, 1987) *'' Live in New York'' (Enemy, 1989) With

*'' Song of Humanity'' (Kabell, 1977) also released on '' Kabell Years: 1971–1979'' (Tzadik, 2004) *'' Budding of a Rose'' (Moers Music, 1979) *''

Spirit Catcher The ''Sculpture Bird'' (also called ''Dream Catcher, Spirit Catcher'') is a sculpture situated on the shore of Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. It was originally created by sculptor Ron Baird for Expo 86 in Vancouver, British Columbia ...

'' (Nessa, 1979) *''

Spiritual Dimensions ''Spiritual Dimensions'' is a double album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith released on Cuneiform. The first disc is the fourth release by his Golden Ensemble, which began as a quartet but here expands into a quintet with two drummers, ...

'' (Cuneiform, 2009) *'' Dark Lady of the Sonnets'' (TUM, 2011) *''

Heart's Reflections ''Heart's Reflections'' is a two-disc studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. The album was released on May 16, 2011 via Cuneiform Records label. Reception Glen Hall of ''Exclaim!'' stated "Trumpeter Smith wears his love for ...

'' (Cuneiform, 2011) *''

'' (Cuneiform, 2012) *''

America's National Parks ''America's National Parks'' is a two-disc studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. Background Smith was given a copy of the Ken Burns documentary ''The National Parks: America's Best Idea'' and wanted to go beyond the concepts ...

'' (Cuneiform, 2016) *'' Najwa'' (TUM, 2017) With

*''

My Dear Family ''My Dear Family'' is an album by jazz pianist Mal Waldron recorded in 1993 and released on the Evidence label.

'' (

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...

, 1993) With

*''

Summit Conference A summit meeting (or just summit) is an international meeting of heads of state or government, usually with considerable media exposure, tight security, and a prearranged agenda. Notable summit meetings include those of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Wi ...

'' (Postcards, 1993) With

Yōsuke Yamashita is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and writer. His piano style is influenced by free jazz, modal jazz and soul jazz. Since the late 1980s, Yamashita's main performing group has consisted of Cecil McBee (bass), Pheeroan akLaff (drums), and oft ...

*''Kurdish Dance'' (Verve, 1993) *''Dazzling Days'' (Verve, 1993) *''Fragments 1999'' (Verve, 1999) *''Spider'' (Verve, 1996)

References

External links

Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aklaff, Pheeroan American jazz drummers Living people 1955 births Musicians from Detroit Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut Wesleyan University faculty 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Air (free jazz trio) members Jazz musicians from Michigan Jazz musicians from Connecticut 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American male musicians Avant-garde jazz drummers