Episode Summary

Saxophonist, composer, and theater-maker Idris Ackamoor joins us to talk about Afrofuturism, ensemble storytelling, and why his performances are designed as communal happenings—part ritual, part dance-floor communion. We get into the craft behind his “artistic being” approach, the power of spoken word in jazz contexts, and how rhythm, memory, and movement drive his music.

Idris Ackamoor is a Chicago-born, Bay Area–based bandleader and co-founder of Cultural Odyssey and The Pyramids. A pioneering voice in Afrofuturist jazz, his work blends West African rhythmic foundations with improvisation, theater, and multimedia staging.

• How he defines an “artistic being” and turns daily practice into finished compositions

• The Pyramids as an ensemble for theater, dance, and groove—music that moves people (literally)

• Collaborating with spoken-word icons Danny Glover and Rhodessa Jones and writing for distinctive voices

• “The Grandma Cole Story”: turning family memory into melody, rhythm, and testimony

• Afrofuturism as compass: studies and travels that shaped his sound and stagecraft

• Protest music built for the body and the mind—clarity, groove, and human perspective (“Police Dem”)

• Set design like cinema: seamless transitions, projection, and audience participation

• Legacy and ownership: why preserving masters and publishing matters to the art

• “I call myself an artistic being… sometimes a melody appears on the piano, sometimes on the horn—I follow it until it grows.”

• “When you hear me play, I want you to know it’s me and no one else.”

• “This is about participation—breaking down the wall—so the audience becomes part of the experience.”

• “I get to the meat of it through the human perspective. The groove invites you in; the words ask you to stay awake.”

Host & Producer: Steve Roby — Backstage Bay Area
Guest: Idris Ackamoor
Editing/Mix: Steve Roby

• Artist: Idris Ackamoor / The Pyramids – official site, socials, and music streaming

• Cultural Odyssey – background on Ackamoor’s performing arts work

• Label: Strut Records – catalogue and archives

  Photo: Pat Mazzera