Floyd LeFlore (1940–2014) was a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

composer,

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

player, and poet from

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

. In 1968, LeFlore helped to found the

Black Artists Group The Black Artists Group (BAG) was a multidisciplinary arts collective that existed in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1968 to 1972. BAG is known for the convergence of free jazz and experimental theater. Members Members included saxophonists Julius ...

(BAG).

Biography

LeFlore was the nephew of Clarence "Bucky" Jarman, a guitarist also of St. Louis. In high school, LeFlore attended Sumner High School with many other students who later became notable jazz musicians. From 1962 to 1965, LeFlore served in the military. For a brief time between 1972 and 1973, LeFlore lived and performed in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

where the album '' In Paris, Aries 1973'' was recorded with other BAG musicians. LeFlore lived in

LaClede Town LaClede Town was a mixed-income, federally funded housing project in St. Louis, Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the Unite ...

with many other BAG members, appreciating the "racial, socio-economic, and immigrant mix provided for his children.". LeFlore was married to Shirley LeFlore and had three daughters including the author Lyah LeFlore-Ituen. LeFlore died in 2014.

Discography

As performer

* 1970 ''Ofamfa'' (trumpet and small instruments) with Children of the Sun (Universal Justice Records) * 1970 ''

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'' (trumpet) with BAG Solidarity Unit, Inc. (BAG Live Concert Series) * 1972 ''

Whisper of Dharma ''Whisper of Dharma'' is the debut album by the Human Arts Ensemble, a musical collective that was an offshoot of the St. Louis-based Black Artists Group. Consisting of two 22-minute pieces, it was recorded on October 6, 1972, in St. Louis, and wa ...

'' with

Human Arts Ensemble The Human Arts Ensemble was a 1970s musical collective operating in St. Louis, Missouri. Members explored free jazz and loosely associated themselves with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and the Black Artists' ...

(Universal Justice) * 1973 '' In Paris, Aries 1973'' (trumpet, vocal, misc. instruments) with Black Artists Group expatriates (very limited initial release; reissued by Aguirre in 2018) * 1973 ''Funky Donkey Volume 1 & 2'' with Luther Thomas Human Arts Ensemble (Creative Consciousness; reissued as CD on Atavistic/Unheard Music Series) * 1976 '' Ntu: Point from Which Creation Begins'' (trumpet, percussion) (Arista/Freedom)

As leader

* 1997 ''City Sidewalk Street Song Suite'' (Vid Recordings : Music Masters MM-34612)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:LeFlore, Floyd American jazz musicians 1940 births 2014 deaths