Steve McCall (drummer)
Steve McCall (September 20, 1933 - May 24, 1989) was an American jazz drummer.
McCall was born in Chicago and began his career there in the 1950s. One of his early gigs was playing behind blues singer Lucky Carmichael. McCall befriended Muhal Richard Abrams in 1961, and went on to be one of the founders of the AACM in 1965. He played with hard bop and free jazz musicians throughout the decade; among those he played with were Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Fred Anderson, and Wadada Leo Smith. From 1967 to 1970 he lived in Amsterdam and in Paris, playing there with Braxton, Marion Brown, and Gunter Hampel. In 1970 he moved back to Chicago, where he played in a trio with Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons, and a second trio called Reflection with Henry Threadgill and Fred Hopkins.
He spent another year in Europe in 1974, then moved to New York City in 1975, playing again with Threadgill and Hopkins in Air into the 1980s. He also played with Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, and David Murray. He played with David Murray at Galerie Waalkens (Albert Waalkens) in the Dutch village Finsterwolde. In 1985 he played with Cecil Taylor, and worked with Roscoe Mitchell again until his death of a stroke in 1989. He never recorded a session as a leader (a solo recording for the French Futura label was mentioned at one time, but it's unclear whether it actually existed).
[edit] Discography
[edit] As sideman
With Creative Construction Company
- 1970: Creative Construction Company
- 1971: CCC, Vol. 2
- 1977: Muhal
With Air
- 1975: Air Song
- 1976: Live Air
- 1976: Air Raid
- 1977: Air Time
- 1978: Open Air Suit
- 1978: Montreux Suisse
- 1979: Air Lore
- 1980: Air Mail
- 1982: 80° Below '82
With Anthony Braxton
- 1969: Anthony Braxton (BYG Actuel)
- 1970: This Time... (BYG Actuel)
With David Murray
- 1980: Sweet Lovely
- 1980: Ming
- 1981: Home
- 1982: Murray's Steps
With Chico Freeman
- Morning Prayer (1976)
- Chico (1977)
With Others
- 1967: Song for - Joseph Jarman
- 1968: Gesprächsfetzen - Marion Brown/Gunter Hampel
- 1969: Marion Brown In Sommerhausen - Marion Brown
- 1969: The 8th Of July 1969 - Gunter Hampel
- 1970: Gittin' to Know Y'All - Baden-Baden Free Jazz Orchestra
- 1970: This Time... - Anthony Braxton
- 1973: Geechee Recollections - Marion Brown
- 1974: Sweet Earth Flying - Marion Brown
- 1975: Things to Come from Those Now Gone - Muhal Richard Abrams
- 1975: Cosmic Dancer - Gunter Hampel
- 1978: 1-OQA+19 - Muhal Richard Abrams
- 1979: Music from the Source - Cecil McBee
- 1979: In the Tradition - Arthur Blythe
- 1979: Sweet Space - Billy Bang
- 1980: Vintage Duets: Chicago, January 11, 1980 - with Fred Anderson
- 1980: Illusions - Arthur Blythe
- 1981: Blythe Spirit - Arthur Blythe
- 1986: Olu Iwa - Cecil Taylor
- 1986: The Flow of Things - Roscoe Mitchell
