Philadelphia’s musical polyglot is 95 today.

David Amram, born in Philadelphia on this date in 1930, has always been equally at home in classical music, jazz, folk, and world music. The composer of over 100 orchestral and chamber works, music for Broadway and film (including the scores for “Splendor in the Grass” and “The Manchurian Candidate”), and two operas, he’s also the author of three books: “Vibrations: The Adventures and Musical Times of David Amram” (1968), “Offbeat: Collaborating with Kerouac” (2002), and “Upbeat: Nine Lives of a Musical Cat” (2007).

Amram, who now makes his home in Putnam Valley, NY, was raised on a farm in Bucks County, PA. There, he was introduced to classical, jazz, and cantorial music by his father and uncle. He took piano lessons and experimented with instruments of the brass family, finally centering on the French horn. Following a year at Oberlin, he lit out for George Washington University, where he studied history. While there, he performed as a freelance hornist with the National Symphony. He also studied privately with two musicians in the orchestra.

Amram became a pioneer of the “jazz French horn,” as well as the New York Philharmonic’s first composer-in-residence (designated such in 1966). He’s worked with artists ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Bob Dylan to Leonard Bernstein, from Jack Kerouac to Arthur Miller, from Christopher Plummer to Johnny Depp. He’s a musician without borders, always open to new experiences.

At 95, Amram is still cookin’. Think I’m exaggerating? Check out his calendar at his website.

https://www.davidamram.com/calendar.php?year=2025

He just performed in Tarrytown last week, and he’s got a couple of birthday concerts imminent, in Schenectady and NYC (at Dizzy’s Club at Columbus Circle, presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center).

A new recording of his chamber music was just issued on Naxos on November 14. This follows an album on Guthrie Legacy Recordings dedicated to Woody Guthrie and Phil Ochs, released in August.

Clearly he ascribes to the maxim that to rest is to rust. He’s also keeping busy with a new orchestral piece, his fourth book, and a transcription for symphonic winds of “This Land: Symphonic Variations on a Song by Woody Guthrie” for a scheduled premiere at Ohio State College in June.

Amram is high on life, he exudes love, and he makes the world a better place. The guy deserves all his success.

Sending another happy birthday via “ESP thought-o-gram” to David Amram. May there be many more.

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Trailer for “David Amram: The First 80 Years”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5v6MeanQ28

Amram Horn Concerto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8J0w1uMfXo

Amram with Dizzy Gillespie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j69jBSwi-f4

Amram’s music for “The Manchurian Candidate”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWrtyCzWE_w&t

Wonderful snapshot of the man and artist, who more and more seems a prophet of our age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk0M6n_nBYo

Amram jamming at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHdo_-GnUgI

Amram in February (age 94)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mQ7FBwbAkw

“Pull My Daisy”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lCBNfnVGtc