Don Pullen

Don Pullen forged an unusually listener-friendly path through avant-garde jazz. Capable of extreme harmonic freedom marked by dense, clashing chords, he nevertheless anchored his playing with infectious grooves, giving even his boldest explorations a clear point of entry. That interplay between openness and propulsion produced a voice entirely his own.

Raised in a musical household, Pullen studied under Muhal Richard Abrams and performed with him in the Experimental Band before making his recording debut in 1964 with Giuseppi Logan. During the 1960s he documented unaccompanied duets with Milford Graves, led groups of his own, and served as organist for various R&B ensembles, accompanying Big Maybelle, Ruth Brown, and others. Although he spent time with Nina Simone from 1970 to 1971 and with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1974, his widest recognition came as pianist in Charles Mingus' final major ensemble from 1973 to 1975. From 1979 to 1988 he co-directed a notable inside/outside quartet with tenor saxophonist George Adams, an outfit that carried forward certain qualities of Mingus' band. In later years Pullen headed the African-Brazilian Connection and recorded with Kip Hanrahan, Roots, John Scofield, David Murray, Mingus Dynasty, and Jane Bunnett, among additional collaborators. His final undertaking found the perpetually exploratory pianist attempting to merge jazz with traditional Native American music. Although his career ended prematurely, Don Pullen still amassed a substantial catalog as a leader, appearing on Sackville in 1974, Horo, Black Saint, Atlantic—where his funky “Big Alice” nearly became a standard—and Blue Note.