A great early Black Saint album from trombonist
George Lewis – a key example of the way the AACM spirit thrived overseas, thanks to the efforts of labels like this! The work is quite serious and experimental – almost compositional in nature, and definitely heading towards the AACM promise of "Great Black Music". Two of the songs, "Monads" and "Shadowgraph" are performed by a group that features
Roscoe Mitchell on saxes, Leroy Jenkins on violin,
Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Douglas Ewart on bass clarinet and other reeds, and Abdul Wadud on cello – with
Lewis himself on tenor trombone and other horns. "Triple Slow Mix" features
Lewis on the sousaphone with split piano channels –
Abrams on the left and Anthony Davis on the right – a very haunting sonic experience. "Cycle" has
Lewis playing the Moog in addition to trombone and tuba, accompanied by Ewart on various woodwinds.