The indefatigable David Amram turns 93 today with a new biography and a celebratory concert tonight in Tarrytown tonight at the Jazz Forum. His infectious energy and enthusiasm (where does it come from?), there’s no holding him back!
The Many Worlds of David Amram by Dale Birkenkamp, the biography, (subtitled “Renaissance Man of American Music” – multi-talented, indeed!) is described by his publishers thusly:
“This new book offers a fascinating and wide-ranging picture of Amram’s work and influence, from the rich, pioneering days of 1950s America to today’s embrace of international cultures. It shows how Amram’s gift as an on-stage spontaneous creator enriches his formal classical composing. With multi-media links for readers, it is possible to see and hear film and audio highlights and adventures described in this book by important conductors, musicians, performers, scholars, and journalists. This book (The Many Worlds of David Amram) is the essential guide to a major figure in contemporary music.”
Simon Warner lovingly reviews the book and the man’s achievements – here
“The Many Worlds Of David Amram is undoubtedly a love letter to its subject”, he writes,
“not a critical assessment of an extraordinary corpus, but closer to an academic Festschrift, a consensual and glowing testimonial to an established, respected and living scholar.”
“This composer’s lifelong romance with music of all colours, creeds and cultures has been a passionate affair. It has seen him promiscuously cross-fertilise the sounds of every continent in a simmering pot of melody and lyric, rhythm and rhyme, and I think Dean Birkenkamp’s engrossing, many-layered overview does fine justice to this many-faceted man and his diverse attainments.”
Check out our 90th birthday celebration – here
and further birthday greetings – here, here and here
David Amram Remembers Jack Kerouac
No letting up on his performance schedule. On December 2nd, he’ll be performing in New York at the Theater for the New City. Many happy returns, David!
