Alan Michael Braufman

Braufman graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music where he met Cooper-Moore (then Gene Ashton) and other musicians, including David S. Ware, Chris Amberger, and Marc Edwards,[1] with whom he moved to New York City in 1973 and (minus Edwards) occupied a vacant building at 501 Canal Street in lower Manhattan.[2] The building, where the total rent came to $140 for four floors,[3] became a hub for musicians to practice and perform and its occupants played a seminal role in New York City's early-seventies loft jazz scene.[4] In 1974, Village Voice jazz critic Gary Giddins wrote a review of Braufman's performance called "Taking Chances At 501 Canal," stating “The fact is, these are the musicians who are taking the chances today and their gifts and commitment ought to be attended.”[5]

In 1975, Braufman's debut album Valley of Search was released on the India Navigation record label. The album was recorded live in the performance space at 501 Canal Street by Bob Cummins, the owner of India Navigation and was the label's second release.[6] Cooper-Moore (who made his recorded debut on the album[7]), Cecil McBee, David Lee and Ralph Williams performed as Braufman's band.[8]

On June 29, 2018, a remastered version of Valley of Search was reissued on vinyl and digital formats. The reissue is a project of Braufman and his nephew, Nabil Ayers.[9] To celebrate the reissue, Braufman performed music from Valley of Search in a string of New York shows in August 2018.[10][11][12] Valley of Search was reissued on CD in 2021.[13]

In 2019, master tapes were unearthed of a recording with Alan Braufman and Cooper-Moore performing as a duo live on Columbia University's radio station, WKCR on May 22, 1972, just two years before Valley of Search was recorded.[14] In September 2019, Live at WKCR May 22, 1972 was released on digital platforms, followed by a limited-edition vinyl pressing, and as bonus material on the Valley of Search CD reissue.[15]

In January, 2022, Braufman announced Live in New York City, February 8, 1975. The 94-minute live album features William Parker, Cooper-Moore, Ralph Williams, Jim Schapperoew, John Clark, and new liner notes from the host, Susan Mannheimer. The album will be released on triple LP, double CD, and digital formats.[16]

In September 2019, Alan Braufman and Cooper-Moore performed at the Basilica Soundscape Festival in Hudson, NY, and announced plans to record a new album together with a full band.[17] The new album, The Fire Still Burns was released on August 28, 2020, on the Valley of Search label.[18] The Fire Still Burns includes Cooper-Moore on piano, James Brandon Lewis on tenor saxophone, Ken Filiano on bass, Andrew Drury on drums and Michael Wimberly on percussion.[19] The album was recorded at The National's Long Pond Studio in upstate New York.[20] The release received worldwide acclaim from Pitchfork, The WIRE, DownBeat,[21][22][23] Rolling Stone, who said "In 2020, we need the meditative focus and impassioned intensity of an artist like Alan Braufman more than ever,"[24] and BBC DJ Gilles Peterson, who called Braufman, "A legend in free music."[25]

In January 2021, The Chicago composer and clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid remixed the song "Sunrise," which the New York Times described as "another indication of what it means to stay engaged decades on, bringing the tradition ahead."[26]

In the September 2021, Alan Braufman announced on Twitter that he would record a new album soon.[27]

In the 1970s and 1980s, Braufman spent his time touring as a saxophonist with Carla Bley, The Psychedelic Furs and Philip Glass. Braufman later dropped his last name and began to record and perform as Alan Michael.

In 1988, he released the album Lost In Asia on the Passport Jazz label. The album included performances by Bill Frisell and Sid McGinnis as well as a cover of the Psychedelic Furs song "Sister Europe. In 1995, he released the album As Daylight Fades, on which Omar Hakim played drums.[28]

He currently lives in Salt Lake City, UT where he performs regularly, and is now a teacher of many students learning to play the saxophone. In 2016, the Alan Michael Band was nominated for Best Jazz Artist by the Salt Lake City Weekly.[29][30]