Fred Ho & the Afro Asian Jazz Ensemble

Biography

Fred Ho (born Fred Houn, August 10, 1957, in Palo Alto, California – April 12, 2014) was a pioneering American baritone saxophonist, composer, bandleader, playwright, writer, and Marxist social activist of Chinese descent. Moving to Massachusetts at age six, he immersed himself in music and activism during his youth, studying at Harvard where he co-founded the East Coast Asian Students Union. Changing his surname to Ho in 1988, he rejected labels like 'Asian-American jazz,' instead pioneering a revolutionary multicultural synthesis blending African American jazz traditions with Asian and Pacific folk elements, drawing from influences like Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Cal Massey.

Ho founded the Afro Asian Music Ensemble in 1982 and the Monkey Orchestra in 1980, leading them to critical acclaim with albums such as Tomorrow Is Now! (1986), We Refuse to be Used and Abused (1986), and The Underground Railroad To My Heart (1994), which fused free jazz with Chinese opera and other traditions, earning Village Voice Critics' Choice honors. A fervent activist, he co-established organizations like the Asian American Resource Workshop, AsianImprov Records, and the Asian American Arts Alliance, using his music and writings to champion anti-imperialism, revolutionary internationalism, and Asian American empowerment. Living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Ho lectured widely and published on music, politics, and culture until his death from cancer at age 56.

His legacy endures through the continued performances of the Afro Asian Music Ensemble, embodying his vision of transformative, multicultural music rooted in struggle and dignity.

Fun Facts

• Fred Ho designed his own 'Afro-Asian' fashion, blending cultural aesthetics into his personal style as part of his multifaceted identity.
• He was the first musician to combine Chinese opera with traditional African-American music, creating sounds described as both brilliant and chaotic.
• Ho vehemently opposed the term 'jazz' for African-American music when used pejoratively by white Americans and sought to redefine Asian-American musical identity.
• In 2015, his Afro Asian Music Ensemble toured North America posthumously, joined by guests like dancer Peggy Choy and poet Magdalena Gómez.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Charles Mingus - primary stylistic influence in combining folk elements with African American jazz (general compositional approach in Afro Asian Music Ensemble albums) [1970s-2014]
• Duke Ellington - key influence on large ensemble arrangements (Afro Asian Music Ensemble recordings) [1970s-2014]
• John Coltrane - inspiration for avant-garde and spiritual jazz elements (fusion works like Underground Railroad To My Heart) [1970s-2014]
• Cal Massey - deep influence on 20th-century African American jazz context (early career development) [1970s-1980s]

Key Collaborators

• royal hartigan - longtime drummer in Afro Asian Music Ensemble (We Refuse to be Used and Abused, Underground Rail Road to My Heart) [1982-2014]
• Wes Brown - bassist in core Afro Asian Music Ensemble (multiple albums including Tomorrow Is Now!) [1982-2014]
• Masaru Koga - alto saxophonist in Afro Asian Music Ensemble (performances and recordings post-2014 tour) [1980s-2015]
• David Bindman - tenor saxophonist, band alumnus (We Refuse to be Used and Abused performances) [1980s-2010s]
• Benjamin Barson - baritone saxophonist playing Ho's Mark VI sax in posthumous ensemble (2015 North American Tour) [2000s-2015]
• Youn Jung Kim - singer and theatre artist, special guest collaborator (2015 tour performances) [2010s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia