Henry Threadgill

Henry Threadgill is a groundbreaking American composer, saxophonist, and flutist, known for his innovative contributions to avant-garde jazz and contemporary music. Emerging from Chicago’s influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in the late 1960s, Threadgill has spent decades pushing the boundaries of jazz with his experimental ensembles and genre-defying compositions. His work combines richly textured orchestrations with unconventional instrumentation, challenging traditional forms while maintaining deep rhythmic and melodic roots.

Over the years, Threadgill has led a number of acclaimed groups, including Air, Very Very Circus, and Zooid, each offering a distinct sonic approach grounded in his visionary ideas. In 2016, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his album In for a Penny, In for a Pound, cementing his status as a crucial voice in modern music. His recent projects, such as Old Locks and Irregular Verbs and Poof, continue to showcase his remarkable ability to blur lines between composition and improvisation, affirming his place as a true original in the world of contemporary jazz.

Genres

Free Jazz

Avant-garde

Neoclassical

Jazz

Experimental

Contemporary Classical

Avant-garde Jazz

World Fusion

Post-bop

Progressive Jazz

Improvisational

Chamber Jazz

Related Artists

Anthony Braxton

Wadada Leo Smith

Vijay Iyer

Art Ensemble Of Chicago

Oliver Lake

Sun Ra

Jack DeJohnette

Craig Taborn

Steve Lehman

John Zorn

Ambrose Akinmusire

Ornette Coleman

Latest Release

A

Henry Threadgill

Single - Released September 26, 2025