ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE
Genres: African Fusion, Avant-Garde Jazz, 21st Century Modern • United States

The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble was formed shortly after percussionist Kahil El'Zabar graduated from the school of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians in 1976. He teamed up with tenor saxophonist Edward Wilkerson, Jr., to play music that combined contemporary African-American musical styles, like jazz, with more traditional African instrumentation and rhythms. The duo would frequently grow to a trio in these first years, adding musicians like saxophonist Light Henry Huff and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre; through extensive touring in Europe and the United States, they began to build an international reputation. In 1988, they added trombonist and conga player Joseph Bowie, who was the leader of the jazz-funk group Defunkt. This trio configuration proved to be both long-living and successful, recording on a number of European record labels. 1993 brought their first recording on an American label, Dance with the Ancestors, which was recorded for Chameleon Records. In 1997, read more...