Jazz — All Formats  

An amazing run of music – and key sounds from a time when the Chicago avant garde was finally getting its due in the mainstream! The set features all Novus and Columbia recordings from both the Air trio of Henry Threagill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall – a seminal group from the AACM in the Windy City – and the later recordings made by Threadgill as a leader – featuring even more expansive ideas, and an impressive ear for larger compositions in jazz! The set spans nearly 20 years, and features material from 11 different albums, including some unreleased music too – titles that include the Air albums Open Air Suit, Montreux Suisse Air, and Air Lore – and Threadgill sessions X 75 Vol 1, You Know The Number, Easily Slip Into Another World, Rag Bush & All, Carry The Day, Makin A Move, and Where's Your Cup – plus the previously unissued Vol 2 for X 75. The Air sessions are very earthy and spontaneous – that wonderful creative interplay that marked the AACM legacy at the time. And the Threadgill records start the same way, but show lots of new ideas coming into play – with contributions from Joseph Jarman on reeds, Amina Claudine Myers on voice, Frank Lacy on trombone, Ted Daniel on trumpet, Deirdre Murray on cello, Fred Hopkins on bass, Pheeroan AkLaff on drums, Myra Melford on piano, and a host of other important musicians, all coming together under the leadership of Threadgill. Notes are great, and the 8 CD set features 52 tracks in all – most of them quite long in length!

The legendary AACM trio makes a memorable appearance at the 1978 Montreux jazz fest, captured live here by Novus. The trio of Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall are at their best here – and the set features 3 great original compositins ("Suisse Air", "Let's All Go Down To The Footwash", and "Abra"), all with the band's unique mixture of creativity, soulfulness, and sense of humor.

With Lacy on soprano sax, Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Bobby Few on piano, Jean Jacques Avenel on bass, Oliver Johnson on drums, and Irene Aebi on vocals and violin.

Prime late 70s AACM/loft jazz material, composed and led by Threadgill, and featuring groups that include avant players like Joseph Jarman, Douglas Ewart, Amina Claudine Myers, and Rufus Reid. Titles include "Sir Simpleton", "Celebration", and "Air Song" – and most tracks have some poetic vocals, sung by Myers.

Marvelous work from Mostly Other People Do The Killing – and a record that's quite different from its cheesy looking cover! The quartet never fail to amaze us with their creative energy – and this time around, they're paying homage to that moment in 80s jazz when the underground was brimming up in the mainstream – that great point when creative musicians were finding wider exposure on labels like Columbia, Novus, or Blue Note – yet still serving up sounds that were true to their roots. The cheesy packaging is a nod to the visual aesthetics of the time – and the music is a great contrast, which was not uncommon for the period – lots of sharp reeds from Jon Irabagon, percolatedly soulful trumpet riffs from Peter Evans, snapping percussion from Kevin Shea, and these warm, round, deep lines on acoustic bass from Moppa Elliott – who also wrote and produced the set. Titles include "Sayre", "President Polk", "Can't Tell Shipp From Shohola", "Hearts Content", "Jersey Shore", and "Dexter, Wayne, & Mobley".

Marvelous work from Mostly Other People Do The Killing – and a record that's quite different from its cheesy looking cover! The quartet never fail to amaze us with their creative energy – and this time around, they're paying homage to that moment in 80s jazz when the underground was brimming up in the mainstream – that great point when creative musicians were finding wider exposure on labels like Columbia, Novus, or Blue Note – yet still serving up sounds that were true to their roots. The cheesy packaging is a nod to the visual aesthetics of the time – and the music is a great contrast, which was not uncommon for the period – lots of sharp reeds from Jon Irabagon, percolatedly soulful trumpet riffs from Peter Evans, snapping percussion from Kevin Shea, and these warm, round, deep lines on acoustic bass from Moppa Elliott – who also wrote and produced the set. Titles include "Sayre", "President Polk", "Can't Tell Shipp From Shohola", "Hearts Content", "Jersey Shore", and "Dexter, Wayne, & Mobley".