A long-overdue document of the artistic activity of Roscoe Mitchell – best known to most as a key member of both the AACM and Art Ensemble Of Chicago as a jazz musician, but a surprisingly accomplished painter too! Mitchell's artistic career is captured here in both distant chapters – his early work in the 60s, including a few famous paintings that ended up on album covers – and his more recent burst of visually creative activity in the past fifteen years, presented here in a stunning array of very vibrant images! The painting on the cover is just the tip of the iceberg – as the book features dozens of other artworks, in an edition that's 138 pages in length – complete with an interview with Mitchell on his creative activity too. Book

A seminal session from Roscoe Mitchell – beautiful work recorded for the small Nessa label, and a real testament to the fragile beauty of his music! Some of the tracks are solo, and others feature Roscoe in shifting groups with other AACM players – a duet with bassist Malachi Favors, another with reedman Anthony Braxton, a trio with Muhal Richard Abrams on piano and George Lewis on trombone, and a quartet with Joseph Harman, Henry Threadgill, and Wallace McMillan. The sound's about as haunting as you can get for the AACM in the 70s – sensitive sounds, complex tones, and a rich approach to creative music that goes far beyond jazz – a really stark contrast to the styles of New York or European avant players from the same period! Titles include "Off Five Dark Six", "A1 Tal 2LA", "Nonaah", "Sing", "Chant", "Ericka", and "Tahquemenon". CD

The headier side of the great Roscoe Mitchell – a project that has some of the reedman's compositions transcribed for larger orchestra performance – but at a level that seems to be a natural evolution of the notion of "black classical music" that Mitchell first helped pioneer with the AACM! Make no mistake with that term – this isn't classical music at all – instead, the larger group works here to realize this beautiful balance between improvisation and composition, almost working as a whole to embody the ideas that Mitchell has brought to his music in much smaller settings, carved out of a large group of woodwinds, a touch of brass, and a bit of strings. Gregory Oh conducts the group, and titles include "They Rode For Them", "Splatter", "Nonaah", "Shards & Lemons", and "Ride The Wind". CD

A brilliant pairing of two generations of the AACM – as Roscoe Mitchell writes and conducts, and the group's led by Nicole Mitchell – and features a great assortment of very creative musicians! The blend of talents is key to the strength of the set – as the record avoids some of the coldness that you might find in some of Mitchell's other recent compositions – and really brings in the kind of warmth and humanity we've always loved in Nicole's recordings! In addition to Nicole Mitchell on flute, the set also features work by David Boykin on tenor, Josh Abrams on bass, Maia on harp, Tomeka Reid on cello, Greg Ward on alto, Robert Griffin on trumpet, Myra Melford on piano, and Mankwe Ndosi on voice – on titles that include "Quintet 1 For Eleven", "Cards For Orchestra", and "Quintet 9 For Eleven". CD

Roscoe Mitchell's working here with an expanded version of the Note Factory group – one that's a nonet lineup that features two bassists, two drummers, and two pianos – plus trumpet, guitars, and a variety of reeds from Roscoe. Additional string and woodwind players join the group at a few moments, and the range of tunes is really surprising – from straighter numbers that led Roscoe stretch out as a more traditional soloist, to freer tunes that hearken back to his roots. Titles include "Song For My Sister", "When The Whistle Blows", "Wind Change", "Count Off", "The Megaplexian", and "Step One Two Three". CD

Matthew Shipp on piano and Roscoe Mitchell on alto and soprano saxophone. CD

Some of the earliest work from AACM legend Roscoe Mitchell – tracks recorded before his legendary Sound album, hence the title – finally appearing here for the first time ever! Even in 1965, Mitchell is way ahead of his time – working at a free-thinking, free-wheeling approach to jazz that's a bit more New York than later Chicago music – but still completely amazing! Roscoe opens up on alto, often in tandem with trumpeter Fred Berry – in a group that also features Malachi Favors on bass and Alvin Fiedler on drums – a very open-ended combo that moves forward with boundless energy. There's echoes here of the best modern moments from Archie Shepp, Ted Curson, and Ornette Coleman in the 60s – and the long-overdue release of this music is a real cause for celebration – especially given that the package features lots of detailed history and helpful notes. Titles include "Mr Freddy", "Green", "Outer Space", "Akhenaten", "And There Was Peace", and "Jo Jar". CD

Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, bell, bamboo flute, taxi horn, and percussion; George Lewis on trombone and laptop; Roscoe Mitchell on soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, and percussion. CD

A huge chapter of work from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – one that not only includes their own albums for the ECM label, but also related solo and side projects too! The set begins with four Art Ensemble albums – Nice Guys, Full Force, Urban Bushman, and The Third Decade – all of which came out as a statement of the group's strengths in the late 70s and early 80s – their first mainstream appearance after a few years of being very underground, and material that helped set a whole new standard for avant jazz expression in the generation to come! Next is the fantastic album Divine Love, by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – not necessarily an Art Ensemble album, but one that does feature great work from trumpeter Leo Smith – plus trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, bassist Charlie Haden, and vibist Bobby Naughton. Next are four albums by Lester Bowie – two smaller group, and two with his Brass Fantasy ensemble – the records The Great Pretender, All The Magic/The One & Only, I Only Have Eyes For You, and Avant Pop. Then, after Bowie's early passing, the Art Ensemble recorded their beautiful Tribute To Lester – as a trio lineup with Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Don Moye. Mitchell takes the helm next – on a surprisingly big flurry of projects for ECM – records that often show a deeper compositional strand in his music – on records that include Nine To Get Ready, Composition/Improvisation, Far Side, Bells For The South Side, and Boustrophedon – the last of which was led by Evan Parker, with Mitchell in the Transatlantic Art Ensemble. Last up are three records by drummer Jack DeJohnette for ECM – New Directions and New Directions In Europe, both featuring a group with Lester Bowie on trumpet – and Made In Chicago, which features Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, and Muhal Ricard Abrams. Recordings were made between 1978 and 2015 – and comes in a box set with a big booklet of notes! CD

Some of the earliest work from AACM legend Roscoe Mitchell – tracks recorded before his legendary Sound album, hence the title – finally appearing here for the first time ever! Even in 1965, Mitchell is way ahead of his time – working at a free-thinking, free-wheeling approach to jazz that's a bit more New York than later Chicago music – but still completely amazing! Roscoe opens up on alto, often in tandem with trumpeter Fred Berry – in a group that also features Malachi Favors on bass and Alvin Fiedler on drums – a very open-ended combo that moves forward with boundless energy. There's echoes here of the best modern moments from Archie Shepp, Ted Curson, and Ornette Coleman in the 60s – and the long-overdue release of this music is a real cause for celebration – especially given that the package features lots of detailed history and helpful notes. Titles include "Mr Freddy", "Green", "Outer Space", "Akhenaten", "And There Was Peace", and "Jo Jar". CD

A seminal session from Roscoe Mitchell – beautiful work recorded for the small Nessa label, and a real testament to the fragile beauty of his music! Some of the tracks are solo, and others feature Roscoe in shifting groups with other AACM players – a duet with bassist Malachi Favors, another with reedman Anthony Braxton, a trio with Muhal Richard Abrams on piano and George Lewis on trombone, and a quartet with Joseph Harman, Henry Threadgill, and Wallace McMillan. The sound's about as haunting as you can get for the AACM in the 70s – sensitive sounds, complex tones, and a rich approach to creative music that goes far beyond jazz – a really stark contrast to the styles of New York or European avant players from the same period! Titles include "Off Five Dark Six", "A1 Tal 2LA", "Nonaah", "Sing", "Chant", "Ericka", and "Tahquemenon". CD

Incredible solo work from Roscoe Mitchell – almost even more compelling than any of his work with bigger groups! The set compiles material from a number of different concerts, and features Mitchell on alto, tenor, baritone, and soprano sax – blowing these wonderfully shaped, thoughtfully formed lines that are filled with soul and feeling – almost more inside than most of Roscoe's other work of the time, but still with some of the exploratory sensibilities you might hear in his Nessa albums. Sounds are quite fragile at points, but quite bold at others – and the range of expressions really keeps things interesting throughout. Titles include "Eeltwo", "Nonaah", "Tutankamen", "Ttum", "Jibbana", and "Oobina". 9 tracks in all – pulled from 1973 concerts in Kalamazoo and Montreal, and a 1974 set in Finland. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most beautiful records that either Roscoe Mitchell or Anthony Braxton recorded in the second half of the 70s – an amazing set of duets that seems to instantly take both musicians back to their AACM roots! Mitchell had recorded in this style a few times around the date of the session – but the presence of Braxton really makes for something amazing, especially in the way that the musicians split the set between compositions they each created. Mitchells songs take up all of side one – and have this textural quality that's beautiful – and the second half of the record features some of Braxton's musical equations, but of a variety that's maybe more spiritual than usual. Titles include "Five Twenty One Equals Eight", "Cards Three & Open", "Line Fine Lyon Seven", "Composition 40Q", "Composition 74A", and "Composition 74B". CD features one bonus alternate take, too. CD

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-breaking, freely-creative approach to jazz that builds strongly off the changes already wrought by Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Archie Shepp! The format is somewhat like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at times – with measured horn work from Mitchell on alto, clarinet, and recorder, Maurice McIntyre on tenor, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Lester Lashley on trombone (as well as a bit of cello). Some tracks – like the brilliant "Sound" – offer a slow-building exploration of tones and textures – while others, like the blues-joke "Little Suite", or the harmelodic "Ornette", show a wry sense of humor that would become a Chicago avant hallmark as the years went on! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-breaking, freely-creative approach to jazz that builds strongly off the changes already wrought by Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Archie Shepp! The format is somewhat like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at times – with measured horn work from Mitchell on alto, clarinet, and recorder, Maurice McIntyre on tenor, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Lester Lashley on trombone (as well as a bit of cello). Some tracks – like the brilliant "Sound" – offer a slow-building exploration of tones and textures – while others, like the blues-joke "Little Suite", or the harmelodic "Ornette", show a wry sense of humor that would become a Chicago avant hallmark as the years went on! CD also features bonus alternate takes of "Sound" and "Ornette". CD

A legendary session of avant garde jazz – recorded by MPS at the Baden Baden Free Jazz Meeting in 1969! The centerpiece of the record is the performance by the Baden-Baden Free Jazz Orchestra – which is led by Lester Bowie, and features Albert Mangelsdorff, Eje Thelin, Kenny Wheeler, Roscoe Mitchell, Alan Skidmore, Steve McCall, Tony Oxley, Willem Breuker, and other American and European avant players. The group performs a 2 part version of the title track – and their set is a beautiful mix of out styles, and a rare occasion to hear AACM players interacting with other European free jazz musicians. The other tracks on the record feature smaller groups culled from the larger one – and they include Terje Rypdal's group with Karin Krog doing "Ved Soerevatn", Karin performing "For My Two JBs" on a multitrack recorder, and Willem Breuker and John Surman dueting on "May Hunting Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic program of live recordings – all captured at the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Chicago – as part of their 50th Anniversary tribute to the AACM! Roscoe Mitchell works here in a very unusual format – with four different trios, each heard separately – then grouped together in different ways on larger recordings that feature all members in varied formation! The trios feature James Fei on reeds and electronics with William Winant on percussion and vibes; Hugh Ragin on trumpet withTyshawn Sorey on trombone, piano, and percussion; Craig Taborn on piano, organ, and electronics with Kikanju Baku on drums and percussion; and Jribu Shahid on bass and percussion with Tani Tabball on drums and percussion. Mitchell plays a range of reeds and percussion – and some of the percussion used is from the collection of various Art Ensemble Members, being exhibited by the museum. The performances are great – and not only is Mitchell still at the height of his improvisational powers, but he's also got the other musicians working in a spirit that really lives up to the tradition of the AACM! CD

Roscoe Mitchell on saxophone, Reggie Workman on bass, Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums, and Jodie Christian on piano. CD

A fantastic pairing of players – two Chicago legends, both in the sort of setting that really suits them best! Roscoe Mitchell works here on two long improvisations with drummer Mike Reed – blowing a variety of reed instruments, and really taking us back to the groundbreaking work he did in such formats in the late 60s and 70s – very much in the spirit of his work for both Delmark and Sackville. Reed's a drummer who can present himself in larger arrangements and some very important groups – but a date like this reminds us how great he can be on the kit when improvising freely, with a very sympathetic ear to the still-amazing constant creations of Mitchell on reeds. Mike also brings in a bit of electronics – and titles include "The Ritual" and "The Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure what "congliptious" means – but to us, it's always been the title of this excellent early session from reedman Roscoe Mitchell! The sessions here were recorded in 1968, at the Ter-Mar (Chess) Studios in Chicago – and they document a key coming-together of Chicago avant jazz talents – one that captures Mitchell with Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors in the years before better-known dates by the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The style here is somewhat similar to some of the best Delmark AACM sessions of the time – in that there's a hell of a lot of room for each player to open up individually – almost a recording style that takes off even more strongly from the individualist mode of the New York "new thing" generation – showing that Chicago could go one better by allowing each player completely unbridled space to express themselves. Malachi Favors solos on "Tutankhamen", Mitchell does an alto solo on "Thke", and Bowie plays alone on "Jazz Death" – while the trio of players comes together with percussionist Robert Crowder on the long number "Congliptious/Old" – a cool cut that almost links a Sun Ra aesthetic to the AACM. CD also features 4 bonus tracks – 3 takes of "Carefree", plus "Tatas-Matoes" – all cuts that originally appeared on the Art Ensemble 1967/1968 box set. CD

5 discs worth of pre-history from the founding core of Chicago's AACM, back when they were simply known as the "Art Ensemble". Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Lester Bowie are joined by Thurman Barker, Robert Corwder, Philip Wilson and Curtis Clark. 23 tracks in all, icluding "Theme Statements", "Old", "Tatas-Matoes", "Jazz Death?", "Tutankhamen", "Tkhke" and "Carefree". CD

One of the last studio albums with Lester Bowie – it features Bowie on trumpet, Roscoe Mitchell on reeds, Malachi Favors on bass, Famadou Don Moye on percussion, and the entire group on percussion and little instruments. CD

The Art Ensemble at the height of their powers – really letting loose on the Parisian scene of the late 60s, where they found a great audience for all the new ideas they'd been brewing up back home! The album's definitely one that has the group's unique ethos coming into focus – that sense of spontaneous collective creativity spawned by their AACM contemporaries, but delivered with the special sort of playful energy of the group – as they effortlessly shift instruments, switch modes, and find a way to resonate wonderfully as a group without sacrificing their individual voices! Everyone plays percussion and other instruments – with Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell on reeds, Lester Bowie on trumpet, and Malachi Favors on bass – on titles that include "Song For Charles", "Ericka", "A Jackson In Your House", and "Get In Line". CD

The Art Ensemble at the height of their powers – really letting loose on the Parisian scene of the late 60s, where they found a great audience for all the new ideas they'd been brewing up back home! The album's definitely one that has the group's unique ethos coming into focus – that sense of spontaneous collective creativity spawned by their AACM contemporaries, but delivered with the special sort of playful energy of the group – as they effortlessly shift instruments, switch modes, and find a way to resonate wonderfully as a group without sacrificing their individual voices! Everyone plays percussion and other instruments – with Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell on reeds, Lester Bowie on trumpet, and Malachi Favors on bass – on titles that include "Song For Charles", "Ericka", "A Jackson In Your House", and "Get In Line". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that definitely lives up to the sixth decade legacy noted in the title – as it takes work of the remaining members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and expands it with contributions from a number of musicians – both from Chicago and the global scene as well! The feel here is a mix of some of the larger concepts that Roscoe Mitchell has been working on of late, and some of the more organic expressions that the Art Ensemble helped encourage in the world of jazz – performed by a lineup that has Mitchell on sopranino and alto, and Don Moye on drums and percussion – joined by a huge lineup that includes Junius Paul on bass, Tomeka Reid on cello, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Hugh Ragin on trumpet, and a larger lineup of basses, piano, and percussion as well. Moor Mother delivers a spoken word passage, and Roco Cordova and Erina Newkirk sing a bit – on titles that include "Kumpa", "Bulawayo", "I Feel Like Dancing", "Jigiba", "Funky AECO", "Improvisation Two", "Ritual Great Black Music", "Cards", and "Leola". CD

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by Lester Bowie as a leader – and a set that stands in importance right next to the early Delmark AACM sides by Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell! Plus, the album's almost an early Art Ensemble of Chicago effort, given the lineup – which features Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn; Roscoe Mitchell on alto, soprano, clarinet, and flute; Malachi Favors on bass; and Joseph Jarman on alto, sopranino, and clarinet!. This fantastic CD features all the material recorded at the initial sessions in 1967 – both trio and quartet material, with titles that include trio numbers "Warm Up", "Number 2", "Number 1", and quartet takes on "Number 2". CD

One of Braxton's first recordings of his work for larger ensembles, and a masterpiece that gives a good example of the kind of early ideas that have informed some of his recent work in the same style. The orchestras vary from track to track, but they all include excellent players like Roscoe Mitchell, George Lewis, Seldon Powell, and Cecil Bridgewater – players who are more than capable of meeting the demands of Braxton's writing, and who can bring a lot of their own to the session. Great stuff, and with a good set of notes. CD

With Roscoe Mitchell on reeds, Art Porter on alto, and Paul McKee on trombone. CD

With Art Porter on alto sax, Roscoe Mitchell on flute, Soprano and alto sax, Odies Williams on bass, and Ernie Adams on drums. CD

One of our favorite albums of all times – and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time – and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the factors that made them so great. Here, he's working with an acoustic bass, amplified with electronics like a Varitone sax – and this strange-sounding instrument is set up in a hip group that mixes Cadet funky studio players (Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Jody Christian) with some of the brighter young players of the AACM (Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Leo Smith.) Jackson's bass is looped through all sorts of crazy effects, and the result is this amazing blend of avant garde playing and groovy rhythms that is beyond compare! The album includes great reworkings of two Eddie Harris funk tracks – "Bold and Black" and "Cold Duck Time" – plus monster originals like "Funky Doo", "Say What", "Dance Of The Dervish", and "Funky Skull (parts 1 & 2)". CD

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time – and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the factors that made them so great. Here, he's working with an acoustic bass, amplified with electronics like a Varitone sax – and this strange-sounding instrument is set up in a hip group that mixes Cadet funky studio players (Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Jody Christian) with some of the brighter young players of the AACM (Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Leo Smith.) Jackson's bass is looped through all sorts of crazy effects, and the result is this amazing blend of avant garde playing and groovy rhythms that is beyond compare! The album includes great reworkings of two Eddie Harris funk tracks – "Bold and Black" and "Cold Duck Time" – plus monster originals like "Funky Doo", "Say What", "Dance Of The Dervish", and "Funky Skull (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Strong solo work from saxophonist Darius Jones – a set that really lives up to both the "raw" and the "lone operation" in the title – as Jones blows here in a space that's very much all his own – with raw emotionality in the spotlight all the way through! Yet the work also draws key inspiration from earlier giants – as many of the tunes are reworkings of older compositions, from artists who include Roscoe Mitchell, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, and Georgia Anne Muldrow – taken to very personal territory by the performance. There's a strong sense of space to the recording – one that reminds us of hearing Mitchell play solo in a cathedral many years back – and titles include "Nonaah", "Love In Outer Space", "Figure No 2", "Sadness", and "Beautiful Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most spiritual work we've heard from Yusef Lateef in years – a set cut with AACM legends Roscoe Mitchell and Douglas Ewart, and done with a sound that takes us back to the legendary sounds of both players in the 70s! Adam Rudolph also joins the quartet, bringing in some great percussion – and the album's a really collaborative affair, with all the musicians shifting through a wide range of instrumentation in their own spheres of expertise – at a level that recalls the work of the Art Ensemble of Chicago at their best. Lateef plays tenor, flutes, oboe, and even vocalizes a bit – as does Ewart, who along with Roscoe Mitchell plays a range of reeds and percussion instruments. Titles include "Voice Prints", "Sound Search", "Harpers Ferry", and "Morning Moves". CD

Maybe the most striking set in this ever-shifting series of releases from Matana Roberts – and one that shows his more advanced sonic sensibilities, in a mix of improvised jazz and more compositional settings! There's a vibe here that's almost like the more "serious" work of Roscoe Mitchell – at least in the way that reeds and strings interweave – yet Roberts, as always, brings a deeply personal approach to the music, with lots of shorter songs that weave more soulful elements amidst the avant expressions – which are served up by a lineup that includes Mike Pride on drums, Cory Smythe on piano, Darius Jones on alto, Mazz Swift on violin, and Mat Lavelle on alto clarinet and pocket trumpet. Kyp Malone brings in a bit of electronics, and there are vocalizations at points – on titles that include "A Caged Dance", "No Way Chastened", "Away Is Not An Option", "Shake My Bones", "Enthralled Not By Her Curious Blend", "Different Rings", "Predestined Confessions", and "We Said". LP, Vinyl record album

An unreleased set of solo performances from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – one that we'd rank right up there with his most adventurous work of the 70s! Smith comes across wonderfully on the record – full of soul and imagination, and easily as impressive on his solo instruments as scenemate Roscoe Mitchell could be in a similar setting – always moving around with thoughtful shifts in timing and purpose, in ways that always make the whole performance feel very organic, especially as Smith moves between other instruments that include flute, percussion, gongs, and steelophone. Titles include "Jupiter's Astro Waves", "Blue Green Gardens Of The Indigenous People", and "Pan Sonic Fire Rhythms/Red Chrysanthemums/Dark Purple Night On Crater Lake With A Clear View Of Saturn's Rings & Moons". CD

Writer Paul Steinbeck has already given us a great book on the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – but this time around, he looks at the larger scene from which they came, the groundbreaking AACM moment in jazz, which emerged in Chicago in the late 60s! Steinbeck provides some cultural and historical context, but also focuses in on key recordings that helped to define the special genius of AACM musicians and their united vision – with an approach that's build around different records on a chapter by chapter basis – even leading up to a few more recent recordings that show the continuing influence and growth of the organization. Along the way, Steinbeck provides some musical notations and deeper analysis of the sounds from his perspective as a musicologist – very illuminating to us, as we tend to have much more of a visceral response to these records – a lineup that includes Air Time by Air, Levels & Degrees Of Light by Muhal Richard Abrams, Sound by Roscoe Mitchell, Voyager by George Lewis, Nonaah by Roscoe Mitchell, Composition 76 by Anthony Braxton, Ten Freedom Summers by Wadada Leo Smith, and Mandorla Awakening II by Nicole Mitchell. The hardcover book features many charts and scores throughout – and is a total of 272 pages in length. Book

Possibly the best entry in Art Ensemble Of Chicago's Dreaming Of The Masters series – as the set's devoted to the work of John Coltrane, and has a really unified feel throughout! About half the tunes are Coltrane compositions, and the rest are originals by the Art Ensemble – done with fluid, open sounds that are less a strict tribute to Coltrane, than an expression of the ideas in jazz he allowed! As you might guess, the reeds play strongly in the sound of the set – and both Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell hit some great moments on the Coltrane tunes especially – notes that are quite different than any Trane might have played, but which he would no doubt appreciate in his music. Titles include "Dreaming Of The Masters", "Impressions", "Spiritual", "Naima", "Song For Atala", and "Go Head". CD

The last recording session by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago with Malachi Favors – done shortly before his death in early 2004, and a record that's certainly touched by his gentle soul! There's a poise here that's really great – a kind of careful and thoughtful presentation of the material that's often extremely tuneful, and which features some especially nice reed work from Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman. Titles include "Sirius Calling", "Two Twenty", "He Took A Cab To Neptune", "Till Autumn", "Dance Of Circles", "You Can't Get Away", and "Taiko". CD

2 of Sunny Murray's classic sides for the BYG label, on one CD! Sunshine is one of Sunny's rarest from the time – and a full-on session that features Lester Bowie, Arthur Jones, Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp, Kenneth Terroade, Dave Burrell, and Malachi Favors. The large group wails mightily, with a spiritual edge that's a bridge between Murray's New York avant roots and some of the late 60s work of the AACM. Side one features the extended "Flower Trane", and side two contains "Real" and "Red Cross". Even Break is one of the best-ever BYG/Actuel sessions, and one that has the unlikely pairing of east coast avant players Sonny Murray and Byard Lancaster, with Art Ensemble Of Chicago bassist Malachi Favors! Murray plays drums, and reads a bit of poetry, while the band wails behind him in powerful turgid lines of hard free jazz that represent all there is to say about the freedom of the Paris jazz scene in 1969. 4 long tracks – "Invisible Blues", "Complete Affection", "Giblets – Part 12", and "An Even Break". CD

A great CD that features 2 of the Art Ensemble's best French recordings! The first part of the CD features the stunning album Les Stances A Sophie – probably the greatest album ever by the Art Ensemble of Chicago – and also one of their rarest! The group's never been finer – and plays with a creative tightness that you'll be hard pressed to find on other records. Some tracks are almost straight jazz – but there's all these wonderful little breakdowns and burst of creative energy that keep the AACM spirit alive and true. The centerpiece of the album is the massive "Theme De Yoyo", a righteous powerful groover that features vocals by Fontella Bass (wife of Lester Bowie of the group), and which has become an all-time jazz dance classic! Other tracks have a sparer soundtracky feel, and a few more are in the experimental vein of the Art Ensemble's other Paris work at the time. Wonderful overall though – and an incredibly righteous album filled with power and imagination! Titles include "Theme De Celine", "Proverbes", "Theme Libra", and "Variations Sur Un Theme De Monteverdi". People In Sorrow is quite a different record – and features one long track, the title cut, with very spare music, and lots of isolated bass work, horn solos, and percussion – played by the quartet of Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Lester Bowie, and Malachi Favors. The track's a nice counterpart to the music on the first part of the disc – long, moody, and almost chillout in nature! CD