Muhal Richard Abrams on Chicago

NOW, A JAZZ MOMENT...

MUSIC:Got My Mojo Workin' (Muddy Waters)

Muhal Richard Abrams: Chicago was always full of music. Every night there was music somewhere. Muddy Waters, all those kind of people were playing.

NEA JAZZ MASTER MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS...

And I would stand at the door, I was too young to go in, so I would stand at the door. They'd keep the door open in the summertime. So I would just stand there with my mouth wide open listening to them. I had no idea that I would be a musician later. This was very early. But every time I would hear the music it was like a magnet. I would just stand there mesmerized and would wonder what did they know to do that.

WELL, AFTER YEARS OF CAREFUL LISTENING, ANALYSIS, AND PRACTICE, THE LARGELY SELF-TAUGHT ABRAMS DID FIGURE IT OUT... THIS IS BLUES TO YOU...

MUSIC:

Blues To You (Muhal Richard Abrams & Marty Ehrlich)
CD: The Open Air Meeting
1997 New World Records

THIS JAZZ MOMENT WITH PIANIST AND COMPOSER MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS WAS CREATED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.