Alvin Fielder Bio

Alvin Fielder

Alvin Fielder is one of the South's hidden jazz treasures. From his early days as a student with Ed Blackwell in 1951 and his founding work with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Music (AACM) in 1963, Al has remained true to his original vision "that the music always had to swing...no matter what." His trademark is an impeccable time and laser sharp sense of rhythm that never gets in the way. It is always there, driving the music forward, but never in a hurry.

While many of his contemporaries have received more publicity than Al, the list of bands he has worked with reads like the jazz timeline for the last 30 years. From his 1967 recording, Sound, with Roscoe Mitchell, which was really the beginning of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Al has worked with bands ranging from the Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Sextet, the Sun Ra Arkestra, the Muhal Richard Abrams Quartet, and the Eddie Harris Quintet.

Like his long time musical partner, Kidd Jordan, Al is a prophet of the music. He has been to the mountain top, he knows where he came from, and most importantly, he knows where he is going. The roots in his music go very deep into the tradition, but the branches sing high into the future.