A beautiful tribute to the strengths of these players working together in a trio – the sense of respect and patience they each have for each other – letting the sound come at just the right moment in just the right way, as things build together in this amazing way – then leap forth with a power that's even more incredible when all three musicians fall into step! Anderson's tenor gets lots of rich open space to roam around – with these deep tones that strongly echo a Coltrane legacy, almost more soulfully than other albums of this vintage – and Parker's bass is wonderful, as always, in a setting like this – and Drake's drums are a masterpiece of understatement. The set features four long improvisations – recorded live in a very warm space. CD

An amazing tribute to the music of Peter Kowald – the bassist whose work did a lot to transform the sound of avant jazz on both sides of the Atlantic during the past few decades! The package features a CD and 2DVDs – the latter of which each feature films shot during Kowald's 2000 tour of the US – both mixing live performance with interview material and footage from the trips. Off The Road is the first DVD – and features material from a few locations – and Chicago Improvisations is the second, and features work from the Windy City, with appearances by Ken Vandermark and Fred Anderson. The music on the CD is a great testament to Kowald's mighty powers on the bass – and features him playing in a variety of settings – working with players who include William Parker on bass, Kidd Jordan on tenor, George Lewis on trombone, Eddie Gale on trumpet, and Hamid Drake on drums. A really wonderful package – and well worth the price! CD