Ahmed Abdullah

Ahmed Abdullah (born May 10, 1947) is an American jazz trumpeter who was a prominent member of Sun Ra's band.

Ahmed Abdullah was born Leroy Bland on May 10, 1947, in New York. 

Growing up, Abdullah was surrounded by music; his older sister listened to a lot of jazz music and his other sister's husband played clarinet and had a huge jazz collection. He bought his first trumpet at a pawnshop in Harlem on 125th Street for $37, at age 13.

He attended Queens College, Queens, New York, in 1965-67 and Kingsborough Community College, Brooklyn, in 1979-81.

Career

Abdullah became a professional musician in 1968, at the age of 21, after he finished his education at Queens College.

He cites his trumpet influences as Miles Davis, Booker Little, Lee Morgan, Kenny Dorham, Joe Gordon, and Don Cherry.

During 1970—74, he worked with the Melodic Artet, a jazz ensemble of saxophonist Charles Brackeen and bassist Ronnie Boykins. He was part of the New York loft scene and played with many of the major jazz legends of the 1970s, including Arthur Blythe, Rashied Ali, Ed Blackwell, Hamiet Bluiett, the Sam Riversbig band, and a co-op called The Group (1986-87) that included saxophonist Marion Brown, violinist Billy Bang, bassist Sirone, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. 

In 1972, Abdullah formed a band called Abdullah, which, along the way, utilized such sidemen as violinist Billy Bang, saxophonist Chico Freeman, saxophonist Oliver Lake, saxophonist Arthur Blythe, saxophonist David Murray, saxophonist Frank Lowe, and vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, among others. 

In 1987 he started leading the Solomonic Quartet, which, as it grew, became the Solomonic Quintet and eventually, the Solomonic Sextet.

Abdullah is most famously recognized for his association with Sun Ra, which lasted on and off from 1975 until 1993 when Sun Ra died. During that time he participated in more than 25 recordings and traveled extensively with Sun Ra.

Abdullah, who has also used the names Solomon and Melchizedek, explored several religions early in life and attended a mosque for a short time, but ultimately converted to Buddhism.

Having grown up in Harlem in the '50s and early '60s, my music has a natural relation with urban African American life. The music I have been most influenced by has been the music of the '60s that challenged the status quo. The Solomonic dynasty is the oldest dynasty known, having started with Solomon and Sheba and ending with Haile Sellasie. When one understands that they are related to the oldest people on this planet, then it can be understood that there is no limit to the music that one may play.

As leader

• WildFlower Compilation CD-Abdullah-Blue Phase with Charles Brackeen, 1976
• Live at Ali's Alley (Cadence, recorded 1978) released 1980 with Chico Freeman
• Life's Force (About Time, 1979) with Vincent Chancey, Jay Hoggard
• Liquid Magic (Silkheart, 1987) with Charles Brackeen, Malachi Favors
• Ahmed Abdullah and the Solomonic Quintet (Silkheart) with Charles Moffett, David S. Ware and Fred Hopkins
• Dedication (CIMP, 1997) with Carlos Ward and Alex Blake
• Actual Proof NAM (CIMP, 1999)
• Song of Time, NAM, Live at the Vision Festival, 2001 (Clean Feed, 2004)
• Traveling the Spaceways (Planet Arts, 2004)
• Tara's Song (TUM, 2005) with Billy Bang and Alex Harding

As sideman

With Sun Ra

• A Quiet Place in the Universe (Leo, 1976/77)
• Destination Unknown (Enja)
• Somewhere Else (Rounder, 1988–89)
• Mayan Temples (Black Saint, 1990)

With Arthur Blythe

• The Grip (India Navigation, 1977)
• Metamorphosis (India Navigation, 1977)

With Billy Bang

• The Fire from Within (Soul Note, 1984)

With Dennis González

• Namesake (Silkheart, 1987)