Art Ensemble of Chicago

The Art Ensemble of Chicago emerged from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in the late 1960s, defining a new course in avant-garde jazz. [1] Their work integrated the full spectrum of Black musical history, from ancestral African sounds to free improvisation, encapsulated in their motto, "Great Black Music: Ancient to the Future." [4, 8] The group was distinguished by its multi-instrumentalism, employing traditional instruments alongside a vast array of percussive and found objects they termed "little instruments." [1, 2] Their theatrical performances, often involving costumes and face paint, reshaped the conventions of live jazz, influencing generations of musicians by expanding the possibilities of musical structure, sound, and presentation. [9, 14]