Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Leroy Jenkins was born on March 11, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois and began playing violin at eight years old, often in church. Another graduate of DuSable High under the tutelage of Walter Dyett, Leroy also played alto saxophone. He went on to graduate from Florida A&M, where he dropped the alto to concentrate on violin.
He returned to Chicago and divided his time from 1965 to 1969 between being involved in the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and teaching in the public school system. By the end of the decade he gave up Chicago for Europe and while in Paris, along with Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith and Steve McCall, he founded the creative Construction Company. Jenkins followed this with the Revolutionary Ensemble and formed a trio with Anthony Davis and Andrew Cyrille.
During 1987 he toured Europe as part of Cecil Taylor’s group. He gained recognition for music-theatre works such as “The Mother of Three Sons” and “The Negros Burial Ground”, two collaborations with Ann T. Greene, also “Fresh Faust”, and “The Three Willies”.
Leroy has played with Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane and Rahsaan Roland Kirk; was a driving force in the free jazz circles and has written numerous pieces for soloists, small groups and large ensembles. Leroy Jenkins, composer, violist and free jazz violinist passed away February 24, 2007.