Search - Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio, Billy Bang :: Big M - A Tribute to Malachi Favors

Kahil was a stone cold jazz baby for sure, but youngblood didn't become a jazz-warrior-for-life until a friend took him to see the Art Ensemble of Chicago in early 1967. AEC bassist Malachi Maghoustut Favors left him starry-eyed and dreaming. Inspired, 14-year old Kahil began hand drum and trap drum studies. In early '86, Kahil El'Zabar pulled his Genius Move: the Ritual Trio (original members: Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors). Favors passed away in Chicago on January 30, 2004. For Kahil, the loss cut deeply. "I started playing with him when I was 16-years old and I worked with him til I was 52," muses Kahil. On December 18, 2004, Kahil and a revamped Trio recorded the Delmark DVD/CD "Ritual Trio Live at the River East Arts Center". A mere two days later, December 20, 2004, the same aggregation went into the studio to record "Big M, A Tribute To Malachi Favors". Kahil El'Zabar, drums, earth drums, kalimba, flute, vocal
Yosef Ben Israel, bass
Ari Brown, tenor saxophone, piano
Billy Bang, violin