I'm sure you all know that Denver has a rich Beat legacy. After all, there is a condominium complex in the city named after Jack Kerouac. Now comes word that this legacy will extend to the Democratic National Convention next week:
David Amram, the ``composer in residence'' at next week's Democratic National Convention in Denver, is famous for creating his own gigs.
He and Jack Kerouac pioneered jazz and poetry readings in the 1950s. Along with Julius Watkins, Amram was one of the first to improvise on a French horn. And he was one of the first musicians to seriously explore what came to be called ``world music.''
With his talent and youthful optimism, Amram, 77, has been called (by me) ``the world's oldest teenager.'' (He likes to say ``never trust anyone under 70.'')
Amram says he was ``inspired by Bach, Berlioz, Charlie Parker, Antonio Carlos Jobim, great Arabic singers, Lakota traditional singers, Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt and ancient Gaelic music.''
He explained the responsibilities of a composer in residence in an e-mail this week while ``hiding out'' at his farm in upstate New York composing a piano concerto.
``My musical contributions will include `Three Songs for America,' settings of speeches by John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy for bass voice and orchestra,'' Amram said. [links from original article]
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