Ajaramu
Percussion, Composer
Ajaramu (formerly known as Gerald Donavan, née Joe Shelton) is a tireless champion of the power of the drums. A veteran of the bop era, he was house drummer at McKie’s, the Chicago jazz club where Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, James Moody, and similarly top players of the hard-blowing school held forth for years. In the 60s the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians opened vistas of free jazz for him, and his considerable technique and driving energy have powered any number of bands since
