Makanda Ken McIntyre

McIntyre was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father played mandolin.[1] McIntyre started his musical life on the bugle when he was eight years old, followed by piano.[1] In his teens he discovered the music of Charlie Parker and began playing saxophone at nineteen, then clarinet and flute two years later.[1] In 1953 he served in the Army and played saxophone and piano in Japan.[1]

After serving two years in the U.S. Army, he attended the Boston Conservatory[2] where he studied with Gigi Gryce, Charlie Mariano, and Andy McGhee.[1] In 1958 he received a degree in flute and composition with a master's degree the next year in composition.[1] He also received a doctorate (Ed.D.) in curriculum design from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1975.[1]

In 1960 he recorded as a leader with Eric Dolphy.[1] Beginning the next year, and for the next six years, he taught music in public schools.[1] He took oboe lessons in New York before playing with Bill Dixon, Jaki Byard, and the Jazz Composer's Orchestra.[1] Then he spent three years with pianist Cecil Taylor.[1] During the 1970s he recorded with Nat Adderley and Beaver Harris and in the 1980s with Craig Harris and Charlie Haden.[1]

In 1971 he founded the first African American Music program in America at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury, teaching for 24 years.[3] He also taught at Wesleyan University, Smith College, Central State University, Fordham University, and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.[1]

In the early 1990s he changed his name to Makanda Ken McIntyre.[2] While performing in Zimbabwe, a stranger handed him a piece of paper with the word "Makanda" written on it; the word means "many skins" in the Ndebele language and "many heads" in Shona.[3] McIntyre died of a heart attack in New York City at the age of 69 on June 13, 2001.[2]

• Makanda Ken McIntyre discography at JazzDiscography.com