AACM Concert Series 2024

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CREATIVE MUSICIANS, AACM

New York City Chapter, Inc.

59 Years Of Artistic Dedication

Presents

AACM CONCERT SERIES 2024

Celebrated Vocalist/Composer Iqua Colson brings... String Musings
With the acclaimed Marlene Rice, Violin; Brandon Ross, Guitar; Reggie Workman, Bass; & Adegoke Steve Colson, Piano.
Join Iqua Colson and this stellar group of music greats for an inspired evening of original pieces for voice and string instruments.
“Vocalist Iqua Colson... brought crisp intonation to some mournful melodic lines ...later during the explosive, uptempo penultimate movement, “Resilience,” she channeled the fiery sense of artistic expression ... an inventive solo of scat singing. It wasn’t supper-club-style scat, either — but an ingeniously shaped solo, concluding with some darting phrases that earned one of the night’s
biggest rounds of applause.” The New York Times

And
Declan Sheehy-Moss: Bounce

Featuring
Declan Sheehy-Moss, Tenor Sax, EWI
Rahul Carlberg, Piano, Prophet
Alex Yoo, Drums
Tim Watson, Guitar
David Macchione, Bass

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Iqua Colson - began studying piano, dance and voice as a child which led to her entering Northwestern University School of Music as a piano major at 16 years old. She was named a Vocal Talent Deserving Wider Recognition by Downbeat Magazine and has been recognized by Billboard Magazine for distinguished achievement as a lyricist. The media has placed her in the company of some of our finest known vocal innovators and stylists including Sarah Vaughan, Jeanne Lee, and Abbey Lincoln. Her work has been discussed/reviewed in many languages and can be found in countless periodicals, and in several books including: Black Women & Music, More than the Blues, an anthology of essays/interviews on several women in music including the great Leontyne Price. Iqua co-owns recording label Silver Sphinx with husband and musical partner Ade, and their first release in 1980 later became part of Gilles Peterson’s 2011 compilation Freedom, Rhythm & Sound which credited them as the early roots of the “indie” movement alongside such independent innovators as Maurice White, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, and Mary Lou Williams.
Iqua worked with tenor saxophone titan Fred Anderson for several years in her early career. This contributed to her decision to join the AACM in 1974 – that, and the encouragement of friend and master drummer - AACM Founder, Steve McCall. Though she has performed with other artists, her most frequent collaborator is her husband, noted pianist and composer, Adegoke Steve Colson. Their presentations have included some of today’s leaders of modern music. A native of Chicago, Iqua’s undergrad degree is in Music and she has a Masters in Public Administration / Arts Administration. Iqua regularly consults and produces arts based projects. She worked with her team and acclaimed actress Cicely Tyson to successfully design and build the Cicely L. Tyson School of Performing & Fine Arts. She has received awards for initiatives that use the arts as catalyst for educational and/or social change including the Shirley Chisolm Award in the Arts from the State of New Jersey where she now resides. In 2024, The Northwestern University Libraries purchased the Adegoke Steve Colson and Iqua Colson Archives including scores, compositions and artifacts relative to their varied and prolific careers.
www.colsonsmusic.com @colsonsmusic

(Photo Credit: Mikel Colson)

Declan Sheehy-Moss - With an expanded instrumentation, Declan's newest project "Bounce" features a new, deeper sound. Combining elements of modern jazz, free jazz, and funk, guitar pedals and other electronics are used alongside typical acoustic instruments to further expand upon the sonic landscape. Loopers, synths, and more will be employed. Hailing from Brooklyn, Declan Sheehy-Moss is a genre-defying saxophonist and composer who artfully blends jazz, pop, funk, and electronic elements to craft an incendiary fusion of sound. His adeptness with digital production and recording techniques, coupled with his instrumental virtuosity, yields a unique digital-acoustic amalgamation at his Brooklyn-based studio, replete with analog synths, EWI, and an array of unconventional instruments. Declan's performances have graced illustrious venues like Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, BAM, Roulette, and many more. Recently Declan was also a 2023 recipient of the Composers Now IMPACT Award, an honor shared among artists such as Kalia Vandever, Alexis Cuadrado, Max Johnson, and many more. Further expanding his musical horizons, Declan works side-by-side with Henry Threadgill, assuming a multifaceted role handling audio engineering, EWI/Saxophone, technical support, and social media management for Mr. Threadgill. Declan has worked intimately on projects like "One" and "The Other One.”
www.declansounds.com

Our Sponsors

This Event is made possible by New York State Council On The Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, additional funds made possible by Individual Donors.

About the AACM

The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), is a non- profit tax-exempt arts organization co-founded in 1965 by Dr. Muhal Richard Abrams, Jodie Christian, Kelan Phil Cohran, and Steve McCall, is one of the oldest musicians associations in the United States. Since its founding in Chicago, Illinois in 1965, the organization’s members have developed a body of work that encompasses the spectrum of traditional and contemporary music. The AACM New York City Chapter, Inc. a non-profit tax-exempt entity was established in 1983. The AACM New York City Chapter, Inc. functions as an ensemble of composers and performers whose mission is to present concerts that feature world premieres of original music, which are composed by AACM members. The AACM is significantly unique in that it has nurtured and brought to fruition so many accomplished composers and performers. The organization’s artists have developed a body of work that has achieved lasting significance across borders of music genres and geography to play a critical role in the ever evolving process of music creation and its vital influence throughout the world. AACM members who have been featured in our programs include: Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Henry Threadgill, Thurman Barker, Adegoke Steve Colson, Iqua Colson, Chico Freeman, Amina Claudine Myers, George Lewis, Reggie Nicholson, Leonard Jones, Peggy Abrams, Richarda Abrams and posthumously Dr. Muhal Richard Abrams, Joseph Jarman, Leroy Jenkins, Frank Gordon, Kalaparusha Ahra Difda, Lester Bowie, Steve McCall, Fred Anderson, John Stubblefield and Fred Hopkins. This concert is part of the AACM New York City Chapter, Inc. Concert Series that is held annually in New York.

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