Earl Cross (December 8, 1933 – 1987) was a

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

trumpeter best known for his association with saxophonists

Noah Howard Noah Howard (April 6, 1943 – September 3, 2010) was an American free jazz alto saxophonist. Biography Born in New Orleans, Howard played music from childhood in his church. He first learned trumpet and later switched to alto, tenor and sopran ...

and

Charles Tyler Admiral Sir Charles Tyler, GCB (1760 – 28 September 1835) was a naval officer in the British Royal Navy who gained fame during the Napoleonic Wars as a naval captain that fought at the Battle of Copenhagen (1801) and Battle of Trafalgar, bec ...

and percussionist Juma Sultan, as well as with the 1970s loft jazz scene in New York City.

Career

Cross was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and began playing music in his mid-teens. After high school, he entered the Air Force, where he associated with trumpeter Richard Williams, saxophonist Frank Haynes, and pianist

Freddie Redd Freddie Redd (May 29, 1928 – March 17, 2021) was an American hard-bop pianist and composer. He is best known for writing music to accompany '' The Connection'' (1959), a play by Jack Gelber. According to Peter Watrous, writing in ''The New Y ...

. He then went to California, where he performed in bands led by

Larry Williams Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to ...

and

Monty Waters Monville Charles Waters (April 14, 1938 – December 23, 2008), known as Monty Waters, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist and singer. Early life Monville Charles Waters was born in Modesto, California. He studied at Modesto High School ...

, and also led his own group, which featured saxophonists Waters and

Dewey Redman Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played alto s ...

, trumpeters Alden Griggs and Norman Spiller, pianist Sonny Donaldson, bassist Benny Wilson, and drummer Art Lewis. In 1967, Cross moved to New York City and joined a band led by

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

, whom he described as "an institution." During the 1970s, he participated in the loft jazz scene, and recorded with

Rashied Ali Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson (July 1, 1933 – August 12, 2009), was an American free jazz and Avant-garde jazz, avant-garde drummer who was best known for performing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life. Biography Earl ...

, Juma Sultan, and

. He also led ensembles of varying size; a recording of a 1973 live performance by Cross's sextet was released by the

Circle A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...

label in 1977 with the title ''Sam Rivers Tuba Trio & Earl Cross Sextet: Jazz of the Seventies''. In 1977, he moved to Holland, where he continued to perform. In 1980, he participated in a concert with saxophonist Idris Ackamoor, bassist Rashied Al Akbar, and drummer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, a recording of which was released 34 years later by NoBusiness Records with the title '' Ascent of the Nether Creatures''. In 1981, he reunited with Tyler in Stockholm, recording the live albums ''Definite'' Volumes 1 and 2, both of which feature his compositions. Cross died in 1987.

Tribute

The 2003 album '' Live at the Vision Festival'' by saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc features a composition titled "Blues for Earl Cross."

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* ''Jazz of the Seventies: Sam Rivers Tuba Trio & Earl Cross Sextet'' (

, 1977) * '' Ascent of the Nether Creatures'' with Rashied Al Akbar,

, and Idris Ackamoor ( NoBusiness, 2014) recorded in 1980

As sideman

;With

* '' Rashied Ali Quintet'' (Survival, 1973) ;With

* ''

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'' (

Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

, 1972) ;With

Jackson Krall ''Jackson Krall Jr.'' (born October 12, 1949) is a drum maker. Born in Detroit, through the years Jackson's instruments have found their way into the hands of the world's greatest drummers and percussionists, and can be heard on recordings as w ...

* ''Jackson Krall and the Secret Music Society'' (Stork, 1991) recorded in 1984 ;With Juma Sultan's Aboriginal Music Society * '' Father of Origin'' (

Eremite A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

, 2011) recorded in 1970–1971 * ''Whispers from the Archive'' (

Porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., a locom ...

, 2012) ;With

* ''Voyage from Jericho'' (AK-BA, 1975) * '' Saga of the Outlaws'' (

Nessa Nessa Diab, known mononymous person, mononymously as Nessa, is an American radio personality, radio and TV personality and television presenter, television host. Early life and education Nessa was born to Egyptians, Egyptian parents. She has t ...

, 1978) * ''At WKCR'' (Sinner Lady Gloria, 2014) recorded in 1974 * '' Definite – Volume 1'' (Storyville, 1982) * '' Definite – Volume 2'' (Storyville, 1984)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross, Earl 1933 births 1987 deaths American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Musicians from St. Louis NoBusiness Records artists