Don Cherry

Biography

Don Cherry (1936–1995) was an American jazz trumpeter, cornetist, and multi-instrumentalist, born in Oklahoma City and raised in Los Angeles. Immersed in music from a young age—his father was a bartender with a passion for swing—Cherry grew up surrounded by the vibrant jazz and rhythm and blues scene of Watts, Los Angeles, where he encountered musicians like Dexter Gordon and Sonny Criss. He began on trumpet and piano, absorbing bebop before gravitating toward the avant-garde.

Cherry's career took a pivotal turn when he met saxophonist Ornette Coleman, joining Coleman's groundbreaking quartet and contributing to seminal free jazz albums such as 'The Shape of Jazz to Come' (1959) and 'Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation' (1961). Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Cherry collaborated with major innovators including John Coltrane, Charlie Haden, and Sun Ra, and released his own influential works like 'Complete Communion' (1966). He became a pioneer of world fusion, incorporating African, Middle Eastern, and Indian musical traditions, notably in the group Codona and on albums like 'Brown Rice' (1975).

Cherry's legacy is defined by his adventurous spirit and commitment to musical freedom. He was instrumental in expanding the boundaries of jazz, both through his improvisational approach and his integration of global sounds. His influence extends to later generations of jazz and world musicians, and his children, Eagle-Eye Cherry and Neneh Cherry, have also achieved international recognition in music.

Fun Facts

• Don Cherry was one of the first jazz musicians to seriously merge American jazz with music from Africa, the Middle East, and India, helping lay the foundation for the 'world music' genre.
• He was known for playing the Pakistani pocket trumpet, a miniature trumpet that became his signature instrument.
• Cherry often performed multimedia concerts with his Swedish wife, Moki Cherry, who created visual art as part of their shows.
• He was the father of pop/rock artist Eagle-Eye Cherry and stepfather of singer Neneh Cherry, both of whom achieved international fame.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Ornette Coleman - Major stylistic influence and bandleader; Cherry joined Coleman's quartet and helped develop free jazz. (The Shape of Jazz to Come, Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation) [Late 1950s–early 1960s]

Key Collaborators

• Ornette Coleman - Quartet member and frequent collaborator; foundational to Cherry's career. (The Shape of Jazz to Come, Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation) [Late 1950s–early 1960s]
• Charlie Haden - Bassist in Ornette Coleman's quartet and later Cherry's own ensembles. (Ornette Coleman Quartet, Old and New Dreams) [1958–1970s]
• Billy Higgins - Drummer in Ornette Coleman's quartet. (The Shape of Jazz to Come) [Late 1950s–early 1960s]
• Ed Blackwell - Drummer in Cherry's groups and the New York Contemporary Five. (Complete Communion, Symphony for Improvisers) [1960s–1970s]
• John Coltrane - Collaborator in avant-garde jazz projects. (The Avant-Garde) [1960s]
• Codona (Collin Walcott, Naná Vasconcelos) - World fusion trio exploring global sounds. (Codona (ECM albums)) [Late 1970s–early 1980s]
• Sun Ra - Collaborator in avant-garde jazz. (Various live and studio projects) [1960s–1970s]

Artists Influenced

• Neneh Cherry - Stepdaughter; Cherry's eclectic musical approach influenced her genre-blending career. (Raw Like Sushi) [1980s–present]
• Eagle-Eye Cherry - Son; grew up in Cherry's musical environment and became a successful pop/rock artist. (Desireless) [1990s–present]
• Numerous avant-garde and world jazz musicians - Cherry's pioneering world fusion and free jazz concepts inspired later generations. (Works by artists in ECM Records, world jazz, and free improvisation) [1970s–present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Brown Rice (Don Cherry)
2. Utopia and Visions (Organic Music Society)
3. Benoego (Home Boy, Sister Out)
4. What Reason Could I Give (Dona Nostra)
5. Universal Mother (Hear & Now)
6. The Ballad Of The Fallen (Folk Song From El Salvador) (The Ballad Of The Fallen)
7. Malkauns (Don Cherry)
8. Art Deco (Home Boy, Sister Out)
9. Degi-Degi (Don Cherry)
10. Air Mail (Music / Sangam)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #2008-universal-fire-victim, #avant-garde-jazz, #free-jazz