Draft:Adegoke Steve Colson

Adegoke Steve Colson is an American jazz pianist and composer. He's known for his individualistic style and deep immersion in the tradition of African American music.

Early Life and Education

Colson was born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in East Orange, graduating from East Orange High School. He became a piano major at Northwestern University School of Music in 1967. He also studied alto saxophone with Fred Hemke, earning a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) degree in 1971. During his first year, he participated in the 1968 Bursar’s Office Takeover, a peaceful protest by Black students advocating for racial equity at Northwestern, reflecting values of social justice that would inform his artistic work.

According to a 2025 profile in The New York City Jazz Record, Colson first met drummer Steve McCall while attending Northwestern University. McCall, a founding member of the AACM, encouraged Colson to join the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), which Colson formally did in late 1972, shortly after graduating.

Career

Colson's debut recording, Triumph!, was released in 1979 with his ensemble Unity Troupe. His second album, No Reservation, was released in 1980 on the Italian label Black Saint.

He has performed and recorded with Kahil El'Zabar, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Muhal Richard Abrams, Ed Blackwell, Hamiet Bluiett, Joseph Jarman, Malachi Favors, Oliver Lake, and other AACM musicians. With his wife, Iqua Colson, he recorded Hope for Love (2004) and The Untarnished Dream (2009), the latter receiving praise from JazzTimes.

Colson’s solo double album Tones For (2015), released on Silver Sphinx, was celebrated for its spiritual depth, with Hothouse Magazine and All About Jazz noting its explorations of African American heritage and liberation themes.

In 2021, Colson premiered Incandescence, a six-part suite commissioned by the AACM and the American Composers Forum.

His ensemble, The Colson Unity Troupe, was reviewed in The New York Times in 1983 for their performance at Soundscape.

Colson’s music frequently reflects his commitment to social justice, informed by his participation in the 1968 Bursar’s Office Takeover at Northwestern University and his collaborations with poet and activist Amiri Baraka. Works such as Greens, Rice, and a Rope and “…as in a Cultural Reminiscence…” exemplify his dedication to exploring themes of Black identity, resistance, and liberation through large-scale, multimedia compositions.

A 2025 feature in The New York City Jazz Record describes Colson as “an authentic purveyor of detail and form” with “enormous harmonic sophistication,” blending traditions from stride piano to avant-garde jazz. The article also credits Colson’s Triumph! and No Reservation recordings as setting the template for his exploratory yet accessible approach, highlighting collaborations with Kahil El’Zabar, Andrew Cyrille, Baikida Carroll, and Amiri Baraka over a decades-spanning career.

Multimedia and Theatre Work

Colson has composed for theatrical works, including Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God by Djanet Sears and The Life and Life of Bumpy Johnson by Amiri Baraka and Max Roach. His 1989 multimedia work Greens, Rice, and a Rope premiered at Newark Symphony Hall, leading to the declaration of “Adegoke Steve Colson Day” by the City of Newark.

Personal life

Colson's personal life, familial relationships, and experiences have played a significant role in shaping his musical career. He shares a deep passion for education with his wife Iqua. They met and married in their early days in Chicago. Both have been active in various educational roles in the United States and abroad. Colson has taught around the world and is a leading speaker on jazz, composition, and performance.

Discography

“Triumph!” Silver Sphinx SS01

“No Reservation” Black Saint BSR 0043

“Hope for Love” Silver Sphinx SS12402

“ Untarnished Dream” Silver Sphinx SS12403

“ Freedom Rhythm & Sound – Revolutionary Jazz and The Civil Rights Movement” Soul Jazz Records SUR CD 219

“ Triumph!” (re-issue From Soul Jazz / London) Universal Sound US CD40

with THE DAVID MURRAY OCTET “New Life” * Black Saint BSR 0100

• One of the top 10 records of the decade (‘80’s): Gary Giddins/Village Voice

with THE ANDREW CYRILLE QUINTET “My Friend Louis” Disk Union DIW 858

“African Love Supreme / Ode to the Living Tree” Venus Jazz TKCZ279098

“Ode to the Living Tree” Evidence ECD 22185-2

with THE BAIKIDA CARROLL QUINTET “Door of the Cage” Soul Note 121123-2

“Marionettes on a High Wire” OmniTone 12101

with THE BUTCH MORRIS ENSEMBLE “Conduction Collection – #25, 26” New World/Cross Currents 80478

with KAHIL EL’ZABAR, JOSEPH JARMAN, MALACHI FAVORS & KALAPARUSHA MAURICE McINTYRE Bright Moments -“Return of the Lost Tribe” Delmark DE-507

with THE KEVIN COOK QUINTET “Music for My Love Ones” Artistic Soundz ASE0001

ARTISTS’ RECORDINGS WHICH FEATURE STEVE COLSON’S COMPOSITIONS

"The News" - The Andrew Cyrille Quartet ECm 2021

“ Encounter” – Trio Three Passin’ Thru 41212 Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille

“Now’s The Time” – New York Unit King Records KICJ 108 Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Richard Davis, John Hicks, Tatsuya Nakamura

‘One with the Wind’ – Hannibal Marvin Peterson Muse MCD 5523

Awards and recognition

• 2022 Fromm Music Foundation Commission Recipient
• Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grant Recipient
• 2017 Commission Here Is the Place, Our City, in honor of Newark’s 350th anniversary

External links

• www.colsonsmusic.com

Category:American jazz pianists Category:American male pianists Category:American jazz composers Category:African-American pianists Category:African-American jazz composers