Ethnic Heritage Ensemble

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble is a jazz group founded in 1973 by the Chicago percussionist Kahil El'Zabar, a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). The group improvises on acoustic instruments over African foundations, and El'Zabar has led it through many line-up changes for five decades. Ethnic Heritage Ensemble made its first record, Three Gentlemen from Chicago, for Moers Music in 1981, followed by albums on Red, Leo, Silkheart, Delmark and CIMP.