Amina Claudine Myers, a highly regarded pianist, organist,
vocalist, composer, master improviser, actress and educator, has performed
worldwide and is well known for her work involving solo voice, vocal choirs,
and instrumental ensembles.
Myers’ 2016 album, Sama Rou – Songs From My Soul, includes a
collection of original compositions and reflections on Negro Spirituals that
hold deep meaning to her musical experience. “Sama Rou,” a title that takes its
origins from Wolof (a Senegalese language), is described by Myers as “songs
from my soul.” The release presents a musical offering that reaches deep into
the core of Myers’ spirit, enriching the listener with the beautiful rich
colors of her voice, while achieving a seamless textural blend with the piano.
Myers has recorded and/or performed with everyone from
Archie Shepp, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, James Blood Ulmer,
Lester Bowie, and Bob Stewart to Joey Baron, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Muhal
Richard Abrams, Bill Laswell, Anthony
Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Jim Pepper and Frank Lowe.
Myers has received many grants and awards, most notably from
the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet The Composer, and The New York
Foundation for the Arts. In 2001 she was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall
of Fame and in 2010 was inducted into the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame. She was
also commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Institute to compose and direct a
composition for a 17-piece jazz orchestra in honor of the late great composer,
arranger and pianist Miss Mary Lou Williams’ 100th birthday.
Myers, a prominent member of the Association for the
Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM)-New York Chapter, continues to impart
her deeply creative music with Sama Rou – Songs From My Soul as she advances
forward in her long established career in the world of improvisation and
composition.
Upcoming Tour Dates
September 16 / Guelph Jazz Festival / Ontario, Canada
October 7 / Community Church of New York / New York, NY
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