Mr. Abrams took the name Muhal in 1967. By 1948 Mr. Abrams was playing professionally and engaged in a disciplined course of self-directed study of a broad range of subjects. Mr. Abrams attributed the organization’s strength to Chicago’s relative isolation from mainstream commercial pressures and temptations. From 1977 to 1997, Mr. Abrams released an album of his own almost every year, including a dozen on the Italian label Black Saint. Mr. Abrams recorded and performed in every small-group format from duets to octets.

Source: New York Times November 01, 2017 17:19 UTC