Leroy Jenkins Dies
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Avant garde violinist Leroy Jenkins has died of lung cancer aged 74. Born in Chicago he started to play violin as a youngster and performed in his local church moving on to study music at high school and then attended Florida A&M University. After a spell teaching he returned to Chicago in the mid-60s and joined the Association for the Advancement of Creative Music. Later with Anthony Braxton and Leo Smith plus drummer Steve McCall he formed the Creative Construction Company.
He became a leading figure of the avant garde and played with many of the main figures over the years including Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler and Alice Coltrane. He also worked memorably with the Revolutionary Ensemble with bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper.