Malachi Favors

Malachi Favors (August 22, 1927^[1] – January 30, 2004)^[2] was an American jazz bassist who played with the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Malachi Favors
Background information
Born	(1927-08-22)August 22, 1927 Lexington, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	January 30, 2004(2004-01-30) (aged 76) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Double bass
Years active	1950–2000

Biography

"Favors's tendency to dissemble about his age was a well-known source of mirth to fellow musicians of his generation".^[3] Most reference works give his year of birth of 1937, but, following his death, his daughter stated that it was 1927.^[4]

Favors primarily played the double bass, but also played the electric bass guitar, banjo, zither, gong, and other instruments.^[5] He began playing double bass at the age of 15 and began performing professionally upon graduating from high school.^[1] Early performances included work with Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard.^[1] By 1965, he was a founder of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and a member of Muhal Richard Abrams' Experimental Band.^[5]

At some point he added the word "Maghostut" to his name and because of this he is commonly listed as "Malachi Favors Maghostut".^[5] Musically he is most associated with bebop, hard bop, and particularly free jazz.^[6]

Favors was a protégé of Chicago bassist Wilbur Ware. His first known recording was a 1953 session with tenor saxophonist Paul Bascomb. He made an LP with Chicago pianist Andrew Hill (1959). Favors began working with Roscoe Mitchell in 1966; this group eventually became the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Favors also worked outside the group, with artists including Sunny Murray, Archie Shepp, and Dewey Redman.^[1]

Prominent records include Natural & Spiritual (solo bass, 1978)^[1] and Sightsong (duets with Muhal Richard Abrams, 1975).^[1] In 1994 he played with Roman Bunka (Oud) at Berlin Jazz Fest and recorded the 'German Critics Poll Winner' album, Color Me Cairo.

Favors died from pancreatic cancer in January 2004, at the age of 76.^[1]

Discography

As leader or co-leader

• Natural & Spiritual (AECO, 1978)
• 2 x 4 (Southport, 1999) with Tatsu Aoki
• Live at Last (Rogueart, 2006)

With Art Ensemble of Chicago

Title		Year		Label
Sound – Roscoe Mitchell Sextet		1966		Delmark
Old/Quartet – Roscoe Mitchell		1967		Nessa
Numbers 1 & 2 – Lester Bowie		1967		Nessa
Early Combinations – Art Ensemble		1967		Nessa
Congliptious – Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble		1968		Nessa
A Jackson in Your House		1969		Actuel
Tutankhamun		1969		Freedom
The Spiritual		1969		Freedom
People in Sorrow		1969		Pathé-Marconi
Message to Our Folks		1969		Actuel
Reese and the Smooth Ones		1969		Actuel
Eda Wobu		1969		JMY
Certain Blacks		1970		America
Go Home		1970		Galloway
Chi-Congo		1970		Paula
Les Stances a Sophie		1970		Pathé-Marconi
Live in Paris		1970		Freedom
Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass		1970		America
Phase One		1971		America
Live at Mandell Hall		1972		Delmark
Bap-Tizum		1972		Atlantic
Fanfare for the Warriors		1973		Atlantic
Kabalaba		1974		AECO
Nice Guys		1978		ECM
Live in Berlin		1979		West Wind
Full Force		1980		ECM
Urban Bushmen		1980		ECM
Among the People		1980		Praxis
The Complete Live in Japan		1984		DIW
The Third Decade		1984		ECM
Naked		1986		DIW
Ancient to the Future		1987		DIW
The Alternate Express		1989		DIW
Art Ensemble of Soweto		1990		DIW
America – South Africa		1990		DIW
Thelonious Sphere Monk with Cecil Taylor		1990		DIW
Dreaming of the Masters Suite		1990		DIW
Live at the 6th Tokyo Music Joy with Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy		1991		DIW
Fundamental Destiny with Don Pullen		1991		AECO
Salutes the Chicago Blues Tradition		1993		AECO
Coming Home Jamaica		1996		Atlantic
Urban Magic		1997		AECO
Tribute to Lester		2001		ECM
Reunion		2003		Around Jazz
The Meeting		2003		Pi
Sirius Calling		2004		Pi

As sideman

With Ahmed Abdullah

• Liquid Magic (Silkheart, 1987)

With Fred Anderson

• Black Horn Long Gone (Southport, 1993)

With Charles Brackeen

• Bannar (Silkheart, 1987)

With Bright Moments: Joseph Jarman, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Kahil El'Zabar and Adegoke Steve Colson

• Return of the Lost Tribe (Delmark, 1998)

With Roman Bunka

• Color Me Cairo (Enja, 1995)

With Kahil El'Zabar

• Sacred Love (Sound Aspects, 1985)
• Another Kind of Groove (Sound Aspects, 1986)
• The Ancestors Are Amongst Us (Katalyst Entertainment, 1987)
• Alika Rising at Leverkusener Jazztage (Sound Aspects, 1989)
• Renaissance of the Resistance (Delmark, 1993)
• Big Cliff (Delmark, 1994)
• Jitterbug Junction (CIMP, 1997)
• Conversations (Delmark, 1999) with Archie Shepp
• Africa N'Da Blues (Delmark, 1999) featuring Pharoah Sanders

With Dennis González

• Stefan (Silkheart, 1987)
• Namesake (Silkheart, 1987)

With Andrew Hill

• So in Love (Warwick, 1960)

With Maurice McIntyre

• Humility in the Light of the Creator (Delmark, 1969)

With Roscoe Mitchell

• Before There Was Sound (Nessa, 1965; issued 2011)
• Nonaah (Nessa, 1977)
• The Flow of Things (Black Saint, 1986)
• Hey Donald (Delmark, 1995)
• The Day and the Night (Dizim, 1997)

With Sunny Murray

• Sunshine (BYG, 1969)
• Homage to Africa (BYG, 1969)
• An Even Break (Never Give a Sucker) (BYG, 1970)
• Live at Moers Festival (Moers Music, 1979)

With Dewey Redman

• Tarik (BYG, 1969)

With Archie Shepp

• Blasé (BYG, 1969)

With Alan Silva

• Luna Surface (BYG, 1969)
• Seasons (BYG, 1971)

With Wadada Leo Smith

• Reflectativity (Tzadik, 2000)
• Golden Quartet (Tzadik, 2000)
• The Year of the Elephant (Pi, 2002)