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A really sweet trio set from Barry Altschul – and one that lets him stretch out beautifully on a wide range of percussion! In addition to traditional drums, Altschul handles quica, bowed cymbals, waterphone, shakers, bells, cymbals, wood block, and lots more on the record – also getting some percussive performances from his mates in the trio – trombonist Ray Anderson and bassist Mark Helias! Anderson's trombone really provides some great glue to hold the performance together – some bold, soulful lines that easily move between free passages and more swinging moments. Titles include "Con Alma De Noche", "Irina", "Be Out S'Cool", and "Brahma".

Blistering work from drummer Barry Altschul – working here in the company of bold young tenorist Jon Irabgon, and matching his youthful energy at every step! The set's easily one of the most driven we've heard from Altschul in many years – a trio date that also features the bass of Joe Fonda, but which really draws most of its magic from Irabgon's horn, and the way that Barry reaches out strongly to provide just the right vibe. Tunes are almost all originals from Altschul – and titles include "Natal Chart", "A Drummer's Song", "Papa's Funkish Dance", "Be Out S'Cool", "Oops", and "Just A Simple Song".

Possibly the first true moment of genius from Paul Bley – a key indie standout after a few years working for bigger American labels! By the time of this early ESP album, Paul Bley was no stranger to the American scene – having recorded a few records for different labels in the 50s, and making some surprise appearances on other sessions in the early part of the 60s. But by the time of this mid 60s set, Bley was really coming into his own – working in a style that would have a huge influence on the style of jazz piano for the next few decades, and which was one of the first strong statements of modernism from the Canadian scene. Here, he's working with Steve Swallow on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion in a trio format, working through a great batch of tracks by then wife Carla – like "Ida", "Start", "Closer", "Batterie", and "Sideways In Mexico" – as well as versions of Ornette Coleman's "Crossroads", Annette Peacock's "Cartoon", and his own "Figfoot".

One of Bley's best records from the 60's, and a great session recorded in Rome with Barry Altschul on drums and Mark Levinson on bass. We think of this era in Bley's career as sort of his middle period, after some important time spent with Ornette, one of the few pianists Coleman ever used, and Jimmy Giuffre, as we as Sonny Rollins, all of whose influence had made an impact on Bley, as a performer, writer and leader. The playing is wide open, but with a keen sense of group interplay and a wonderful dynamic between the three, a post free sensibility that was very progressive but never too noisy or oblique. The tracks include Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", Annette Peacock's "Both", Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino" and "Albert's Love Theme", and Bley's own "Mazatalon".

An amazing reunion of a legendary group – the 70s free jazz trio of Sam Rivers on reeds, Dave Holland on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums! Rivers had already carved out a strong name for himself with earlier work – but his meeting with Holland and Altschul really helped the reedman take off – and together, the three musicians made some of the most creatively unbridled work of Sam's career! And yet the players hadn't worked together for over 25 years – until the time of this special recording, done as part of a Sam River marathon at Columbia University – an amazing moment in jazz that has all three members of the group picking up beautifully, and improvising together in a long session of music that's simply mindblowing! The album's easily one of the best we've heard from Rivers in his later years – and has all the sort of soulful undercurrents that take us back to the 70s loft jazz years of the original group – sounding way more like some lost tapes from the old days than the reunion captured within. Genius – and a great treasure from the late Rivers!

A great mix of electric modes from Paul Bley – working here on Fender Rhodes and Arp, plus a bit of acoustic piano as well! The album's got a great reworking of the sense of space that Bley brought to his regular piano work – excellent accompaniment from Barry Altschul on percussion and Dave Holland on bass and fuzz pedal! Titles include "Ictus", "Gesture Without Plot", "Syndrome", "Dreams", and "El Cordobes".

A kitschy cover, but a great little record – as you might guess by its visual link to the Sonny Rollins albums for Contemporary Records at the end of the 50s! The group's a trio, of the sort that would have made Rollins' proud – searing tenor from Jon Irabagon, pushed forward boldly by the bass of Peter Brendler and drums of Barry Altschul! And although Rollins is definitely the starting point of inspiration for the music, the overall sound has a lot more bite, too – loads of circular lines from Irabagon, rolling out over the equally hypnotic basslins of Brendler, and given a surprisingly strong bottom-slap from the drums. Titles include a whole host of "Doxy"-like numbers – including "Foxy", "Proxy", "Biloxi", "Boxy", "Chicken Poxy", "Roxy", and "Epoxy".

Seminal work from Anthony Braxton – a crucial concert recorded at Town Hall in the early 70s – originally only issued in Japan, but a date that's ended up getting some real global attention over the years! The first half of the set features Braxton's alto in a trio with Dave Holland on bass and Phil Wilson on percussion – working in lots of open, angular space – on two very long readings of Braxton compositions "Composition 6N" and "Composition 6(O)" – plus an incredible take on "All The Things You Are" – done around the time Braxton had recorded some straighter material, but really pushed outside here by the trio! The second half of the set features work by a quintet – still with Dave Holland on bass, but also a Circle appearance by Barry Altschul on drums, plus John Stubblefield on tenor, flute, and bass clarinet – and even Jeanne Lee on vocals. Braxton plays a number of horns – alto and soprano sax, flute, bass clarinet, b-flat clarinet – and even some percussion – and the group play one long track, "Composition 6", in two parts.