A masterful moment as a leader from bassist Sirone – one of his only albums in the lead, and a very different set than some of his work with the Revolutionary Ensemble! There's an intimate vibe going on here, but one that's still very powerful, and definitely in the best spirit of the loft jazz generation – as Sirone mixes his bass with flute from James Newton, cello from Muneer Bernard Fennell, and percussion from Don Moye – used on long tracks that are plenty free and improvised, yet still retain a lyrical sense of beauty. Titles include "Breath Of Life", "Libido", "Circumstances", and "Illusions Of Reality". CD

A masterful moment as a leader from bassist Sirone – one of his only albums in the lead, and a very different set than some of his work with the Revolutionary Ensemble! There's an intimate vibe going on here, but one that's still very powerful, and definitely in the best spirit of the loft jazz generation – as Sirone mixes his bass with flute from James Newton, cello from Muneer Bernard Fennell, and percussion from Don Moye – used on long tracks that are plenty free and improvised, yet still retain a lyrical sense of beauty. Titles include "Breath Of Life", "Libido", "Circumstances", and "Illusions Of Reality". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful moment as a leader from bassist Sirone – one of his only albums in the lead, and a very different set than some of his work with the Revolutionary Ensemble! There's an intimate vibe going on here, but one that's still very powerful, and definitely in the best spirit of the loft jazz generation – as Sirone mixes his bass with flute from James Newton, cello from Muneer Bernard Fennell, and percussion from Don Moye – used on long tracks that are plenty free and improvised, yet still retain a lyrical sense of beauty. Titles include "Breath Of Life", "Libido", "Circumstances", and "Illusions Of Reality". LP, Vinyl record album

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "La Placita", "Shift Below", "Joann's Green Satin Dress", and "Amanpondo". Great booklet too – with loads of notes and historical information! CD

A pair of rare albums from reedman Noah Howard – back to back in a single set! First up is the Noah Howard Quartet album from 1966 – one of the most obscure albums on the ESP label in the 60s – and a brilliant early chapter in the career of reedman Noah Howard! Howard is maybe best known for his contributions to the European scene from the end of the 60s into the 70s – but here, he's already a stunning giant on the New York scene – blowing alto with a sound that's very much all his own, and which makes his performance here as both a soloist and leader a key part of the early ESP label legacy. The group is piano-less – a unique ensemble with Ric Colbeck on trumpet, Scotty Holt on bass, and Dave Grant on percussion – all unknown players, but great partners for Howard on the record – on titles that include "Henry's Street", "Apotheosis", "Apotheosis Extension I", and "And About Love". At Judson Hall features a brilliant live performance from the young Noah Howard – working here at a level that's very much on the most spiritual side of the ESP label spectrum, and which also shows the new level of inventive group structures that were coming into play on the New York scene at the time! The record's got a sense of soulful structure and individual freedom that's a bit like the classics of Archie Shepp at the time – as Howard blows alto alongside trumpeter Ric Colbeck, an unusual player who was also on his quartet studio session for the label. A young Dave Burrell makes a great appearance on piano, alongside the bass of Sirone, cello of Catherine Norris, and percussion of Bobby Kapp – as the group make their way through two side-long tracks, "This Place Called Earth" and "Homage To Coltrane". CD

The Cecil Taylor Unit here is composed of Taylor, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Raphe Malik on trumpet, Ramsey Ameen on violin, Sirone on bass, and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums. The three songs performed are "Idut", "Serdab", and the nearly 30 minute-long "Holiday En Masque" CD

Features George Adams on tenor, soprano sax, and flut e– plus James Blood Ulmer on guitar and a bit of flute, Sirone on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums! CD

One of the few albums as a leader recorded by Dewey Redman during the years of his strongest contributions to avant garde jazz – a post-Coltrane, post-Ayler session that's filled with touches of the spiritualism that can be found in the work of other Impulse labelmates, such as Marion Brown or Archie Shepp. In a way, the album's almost a "new thing" record recorded after the new thing era – not too out, but tentatively exploratory, and expressing some of the ideals of the 70s loft jazz scene. Players include Ted Daniel on trumpet, Jane Robertson on cello, Sirone on bass, and Danny Johnson on percussion – and titles include "Walls-Bridges", "Innerconnection", "Boody", and "Sunlanding". CD features 4 bonus tracks – "QOW", "Funcitydues", "Joie De Vivre", and "Seeds & Deeds". CD

A classic live set from the end of the 70s – one that features Taylor playing with his "new unit" group that included Raphe Malik on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Ramsey Ameen on violin, Sirone on bass, and Ronald Jackson on drums. Given the players involved, the sound has some slight traces of spirutalism that are missing on other Taylor sides from the time – although the overall feel is still quite free and open ended. The album features 2 long tracks – "The Eel Pot" and "Sperichill On Calling" – and was recorded live in 1978. CD

A classic live set by Cecil Taylor – easily one of his best-remembered albums of the 70s! The group here is a sextet – with Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Raphe Malik on trumpet, Ramsey Ameen on violin, Sirone on bass, and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums – all working together in the collaborative spirit of the loft jazz generation! This is heard especially on the beginning section of the set – which features duet and solo performances by group members, all without Taylor – before rolling into the full sextet performance passage of the work. The album is one long performance – spanning over 2 hours of music! CD

Beautiful work from reedman George Adams – a set that has him blowing some great tenor, plus a bit of flute and soprano sax too – on a set of laidback tracks served up with a great quartet! George's horn is definitely the star attraction here – but the combo's got just the right sort of sensitive swing to bring out his best – Hugh Lawson on piano, Sirone on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – all sparking their own sense of creativity throughout, yet never overwhelming George's lead. A few tunes pick up a great groove, which leads to some especially wonderful lines from Adams – those bolder moments that we love from the early years, recast here in the space of a familiar song – on titles that include "Cry Me A River", "Moon River", "A Nightingale Sang In Berkely Square", "Going Home", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". CD

One of the first albums ever cut as a leader by reedman Gato Barbieri – and a very sharp-edged session that's quite different than his better-known work in the 70s! Barbieri's tenor here has an incredible tone – as deeply soulful as Pharoah Sanders or late John Coltrane, and blown with a great sense of freedom – really stretching out on the album's long tracks. Gato never lets himself get too unfocused, though – and the album's an illustration of a side of his talents that was perhaps only shown this well on his recordings with Don Cherry. Players include Calo Scott on cello, Sirone on bass, and Bobby Kapp on drums – and the album's got a vibe that easily matches other ESP sets from the time by Charles Tyler or Sonny Simmons. Titles include "In Search Of The Mystery", "Obsession No 2", "Michelle", and "Cinematheque". CD

A pretty great and very strange album by avant pianist Dave Burrell – and maybe one of the best-known calling cards for his unique genius on the keys! Side one features an extended tune called "West Side Story", which is basically a medley of tunes from the musical, played with a nice dark edge by Burrell and a trio – with Sirone on bass and Bobby Kapp on drums, plus additional tambourine work by Pharoah Sanders! Side three features "East Side Colors", a great track in the ESP avant mode – and one that features killer drum work by Sonny Murray, and some fierce piano by Burrell – and side four features the long "Theme Stream Medley", another extended track, based on themes by Burrell. Other titles include "Margy Pargy", "Bobby & Si", "Bittersweet Reminiscence", and "Dave Blue". CD

A brilliant live performance from the young Noah Howard – working here at a level that's very much on the most spiritual side of the ESP label spectrum, and which also shows the new level of inventive group structures that were coming into play on the New York scene at the time! The record's got a sense of soulful structure and individual freedom that's a bit like the classics of Archie Shepp at the time – as Howard blows alto alongside trumpeter Ric Colbeck, an unusual player who was also on his quartet studio session for the label. A young Dave Burrell makes a great appearance on piano, alongside the bass of Sirone, cello of Catherine Norris, and percussion of Bobby Kapp – as the group make their way through two side-long tracks, "This Place Called Earth" and "Homage To Coltrane". LP, Vinyl record album

Jenkins leads a large ensemble of free jazzers, in the classic Jazz Composers Orchestra mode – and the group includes Dewey Redman, Kalaparusha, Leo Smith, Charles Brackeen, Sirone, and Jerome Cooper. The work spans both sides of the record, and just about everyone gets a solo. And we thought this was the kind of funky jazz album, in which "player" meant "hustler"! LP, Vinyl record album

Cecil Taylor on piano, Tristan Honsinger on cello, Sirone on double bass, Harri Sjostrom on soprano saxophone, Charles Gayle on tenor saxophone, Longineu Parsons on trumpet, and Rashid Bakr on drums. CD

A classic live set by Cecil Taylor – easily one of his best-remembered albums of the 70s! The group here is a sextet – with Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Raphe Malik on trumpet, Ramsey Ameen on violin, Sirone on bass, and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums – all working together in the collaborative spirit of the loft jazz generation! This is heard especially on the beginning section of the set – which features duet and solo performances by group members, all without Taylor – before rolling into the full sextet performance passage of the work. The album is one long performance – spanning over 2 hours of music! CD

Remarkable work by Cecil Taylor for Unit Core, one of his landmark early 70s sides, recorded here with a group that includes Jimmy Lyons, Sirone, and Andrew Cyrille. The piece is spread across the whole record, with Cecil playing solo on side one, and the band joining in on side two. The work starts out very spare, then builds into a seething tapestry of noise, with Cecil pulsing away at the piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising release on A&M for the Revolutionary Ensemble – formerly a much more underground group, but still sounding great here recording for a bigger label! The lineup features Jerome Cooper on piano, bugle, drums, and a variety of percussion instruments – with Sirone on bass and trombone, and Leroy Jenkins on violin, thumb piano, recorder, and small gongs! Titles include "Trio for Trio", "Chinese Rock", and "Ponderous Planets". LP, Vinyl record album