Classic Ross Amico

Tag: David Amram

At 95, Amram Collects No Moss

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.

————

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

November 17, 2025
David Amram Musical Polyglot Turns 91

Philadelphia’s musical polyglot is 91 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 was raised on a farm in Bucks County. 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 91, Amram is still cookin’. He’ll be performing tonight in Newport, RI, celebrating his birthday with a concert of his chamber music, jazz, and folk compositions. On Friday, he’ll be in Tarrytown, NY, with his jazz quartet. On December 3, he’ll be playing with pianist Dick Hyman in Sarasota, FL. And on December 5, he’ll be in Manhattan for his annual “Amram Jam” – a program of jazz and classical chamber music, the instrumentalists joined by vocalists, songwriters, actors, poets, and dancers that’s anticipated to stretch into the wee hours of the morning.

For more information, check the Amram calendar at his website:

https://davidamram.com/calendar.php

If you can’t be at tonight’s concert, you might do as he suggested last year, during “stay at home,” and just take a moment to send him an ESP thought-o-gram. Happy birthday, David Amram!

Trailer for “David Amram: The First 80 Years”:

Amram Horn Concerto:

Amram with Dizzy Gillespie:

Amram’s music for “The Manchurian Candidate”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4V0uQE-nRY

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

Amram jamming at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2011:

“Pull My Daisy”

November 17, 2021
Celebrating 9 Decades of David Amram

Celebrate nine decades of David Amram.

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).l;

Amram was raised on a farm in Bucks County. 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 settling 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 as 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 boundaries, who has always been open to new experiences.

And he’s still going strong. He was to have appeared with his quintet in Marlboro, NY, today to celebrate his 90th birthday, the first such event of 13 scheduled to take place in the U.S. and abroad. However, like everything else, the celebration has been postponed because of the virus.

In the meantime, he is participating in a free weekly Zoom series, on which he’s been reading from his book, “Offbeat: Collaborating with Jack Kerouac.” More information is posted on his website, davidamram.com.

A note on today’s calendar listing, about the postponed concert, suggests an alternative mode of celebration: “Write him a note, call him or best of all, he requests that you send him an ESP thought-wave-o-gram, be creative yourself and look forward to the new vaccine and new administration making us all healthier than ever in the next year!!!”

Working on my ESP thought-wave-o-gram now. Happy birthday, David Amram!

Trailer for “David Amram: The First 80 Years”:

Amram Horn Concerto:

Amram with Dizzy Gillespie:

Amram jamming at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2011:

November 17, 2020
David Amram Celebrates 85 Years

David Amram turns 85 today.

Amram, born in Philadelphia in 1930, has always been equally at home in classical music, jazz, folk and world music. He’s composed over 100 orchestral and chamber works, music for Broadway and film (including scores for “Splendor in the Grass” and “The Manchurian Candidate”), and two operas. He’s also written three books, with a fourth in the works.

He was raised on a farm in Bucks County, where 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 settling 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 an extra 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 (named 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 boundaries, who has always been open to new experiences.

Trailer for the documentary, “David Amram: The First 80 Years”:

Amram Horn Concerto:

Amram with Dizzy Gillespie:

Amram (at the age of 80) performing at the Philadelphia Folk Festival:

Happy birthday, David Amram, still going way strong.

November 17, 2015
David Amram at Philadelphia Folk Fest

As mentioned on Classic Ross Amico (where we are currently enjoying David Amram’s “Theme and Variations on ‘Red River Valley’”), here is a clip of the ceaselessly energetic Amram performing at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2011 at the age of 80.

Hear more American music, in anticipation of Labor Day though 11 a.m. ET, at WPRB 103.3 FM or at wprb.com.

September 3, 2015

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