Chicago, like most large American cities is a microcosm of our general American inattentiveness and ennui. The “south side” has been a problem since before I was born and musicians have always had to navigate their way thru this for many decades. Yeah, it’s gotten more intensely dangerous especially since the Reagan years, but it was no picnic before him either. The AACM has been a sustaining force since the mid-60s, but, to be honest, it may not have even developed any further than Muhal’s band if it weren’t for the political and economic upheaval that developed quickly right after the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
I’ll tell you tho: Roscoe knows how to wear a suit!
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