The New Regime
- Place of Publication: Chicago, IL
- Language: English
- Date of Publication: 1969
- Periodicity: Irregular
- Publishers: Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians
- Type: Full Text
A product of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in Chicago, The New Regime was a short-lived, typescript and mimeographed publication from 1969 published in two undated issues, the first of 19 pages, the second of 59 pages. Founded in 1965, the AACM sought to foster creativity and new music through community, education, and performance. The Association’s mission is detailed in a nine-point list, published at the beginning of the first issue of The New Regime and signed by Lester Bowie (President), Charles Clark (Vice-President), Jerol Donovan (Business Manager), and Richard Abrams (Executive Secretary).
Following the AACM’s declaration of purposes, issue 1 centers around a long article by Bill Quinn on the AACM and its aims, methods, and philosophies, with quotes from many founding members. A review of an AACM concert with the Abshlom Ben Shlomo trio and and interview of Joseph Jarman on his music concludes the issue. The much lengthier issue 2 contains a great amount of poetry by Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, and Bruce Rutlin, along with exploratory texts on the AACM, creativity, the Black Arts and Black Power movements, spiritualism, and criticism by Maurice B. McIntyre, Lester Bowie, Henry Threadgill, Joseph Jarman, and John E. Powell.
"Lester Bowie became the second president of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in September 1968 with Leo Smith as vice president. One public face of Bowie’s tenure as president was a short-lived AACM newsletter, the New Regime. Similar in style to an underground literary magazine, and published in multiple colors on ordinary grade-school construction paper, the New Regime featured personal histories, pictures of members, commentary, photographs, artwork, fiction, and poetry. Also prominent were advertisements for the newly released AACM recordings, and biographies of associated artists, such as choreographer Darlene Blackburn."
George E. Lewis, A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music (2008)