Biography
Among the first ensembles to successfully merge jazz with improvisatory traditions drawn from various global cultures was the Amram/Barrow Quartet. The wildly eclectic Amram, whose instrumental command extended across brass, reed, and numerous non-western instruments, collaborated with tenor saxophonist George Barrow. Although the quartet’s late-’50s Decca sessions remained rooted in standard hard bop, the pieces “Lobo nocho” and “Phipps Quipps” already signaled the broader direction Amram would pursue. Eventually departing conventional jazz for an assortment of world styles, Amram nevertheless sustained his partnership with Barrow well into the ’80s.
Albums