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Lester Bowie was an American jazz trumpeter who was seen to be a pioneer of avant-garde and contemporary jazz from the early 1970s until his death in 1999. Bowie grew up in St. Louis and honed his craft playing in local groups performing with the likes of Little Milton and Albert King before he moved to Chicago and was the bandleader for soul singer Fontella Bass. In 1969 he became a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. During this period Bowie always sought to challenge himself and was involved in a number of different groups including From the Root to the Source and Brass Fantasy which were both immensely popular with jazz fans all over the world. Continuing his involvement in a wide range of genres and styles, in 1993 he performed on David Bowie's album 'Black Tie White Noise', which included a song named after him - 'Looking for Lester'. Lester Bowie passed away in 1999 following a battle with liver cancer, but his legacy lived on. The following year, he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded a tribute album in 2001 entitled 'Tribute to Lester'.
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