Steve Lacy works here with one of his best partners of the 70s – altoist Steve Potts – whose tone and phrasing always turns out to be a perfect match for Lacy's ideas! And the duet also get some great accompaniment from vocalist Irene Aebi – who's almost has more presence here when she makes an appearance, but at a level that's arguably stronger and more powerful than some of her other contributions to Lacy records – this unusual manner of vocalizing that almost puts her in the Saravah Records tradition of Brigitte Fontaine, in terms of creativity and moving beyond the boundaries of language. Irene's words are more musical elements than anything else – giving shape to the start of each selection, then dropping out to make the interplay between Lacy's soprano and Potts' alto seem even warmer and more organic. The album features one long track – "Tips" – divided up into fourteen lettered sections. CD

Classic work from the Steve Lacy Quintet – the formative group that featured Lacy on soprano sax, alongside Steve Potts on alto, Irene Aebi on violin and cello, Kent Carter on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums! The record's got a very artful feel – and really has Lacy moving past some of the freer modes of a decade before – working with occasional vocals from Aebi, and a good sense of structure overall – one that has each group member contributing equally to the formation of the tunes. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Blues", "No Baby", "Troubles", and "The Whammies" LP, Vinyl record album

One of Steve Lacy's great late 70s recordings for Hat Hut – a searing live performance that was one of his boldest efforts from the time! The group here are a quintet of familiar players – Steve Potts on alto and soprano sax, Irene Aebi on cello and voice, Kent Carter on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums – all working together as a tremendously cohesive unit, with a dexterously angular feel on most of the numbers. Titles are all quite long, and with lots of choppy saxophone interplay – and Aebi performs a piece by Brion Gysin on the track "Dreams" 2CD set seems greatly expanded from the original album – and titles include "Raps", "The Way", "The Breath", "Stamps", "Bone", "Life On Its Way", and "Name". CD

A wonderful run of music from the great Steve Lacy – all of the larger group recordings done for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – nearly 20 years of really inventive albums! Lacy's solo and smaller group material were already collected in another excellent box in this series – but this collection shows Steve stepping out in a mode that's not nearly as well-represented on other labels – some of his more intense, complicated efforts – done with both familiar associates, and some surprising choices from the European scene! Players include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Steve Potts on alto, Misha Mengelberg on piano, George Lewis on trombone, Bobby Few on piano, Ricky Ford on tenor, and Han Bennink on drums – and the package, like others in this great series, features all records with original artwork, in cool little sleeves like mini albums. Records include Trickles, Revenue, Troubles, Regeneration, Change Of Season, Dutch Masters, The Condor, The Cry, and Vespers. CD

A massive double-length set from saxophonist Steve Lacy – and maybe one of the strongest 70s statements from his legendary European quintet! The album features two different live performances – each of which open up in the brilliant freedoms allowed by the European scene since the end of the 60s, but restructured by Lacy in that fantastic energy he shared with Steve Potts on alto, Irene Aebi on cello and voice, Kent Carter on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums. The group display a masterful balance between united energy and individual expression – and the synchronicity between Lacy and Potts is especially striking. Titles include "Stamps", "Wickets", "The Dumps", "The Blinks", "Duckles", "Ire", and "Existence". Also features the bonus track "Follies". CD

We're not often the biggest fans of poetry in the work of Steve Lacy – but somehow, this set seems to come off especially right – thanks, no doubt, to the fact that beat legend Brion Gysin composed all of the words! Gysin himself only speaks on 2 titles – but his presence there is especially strong – grounding the other vocals by Irene Aebi with a gruff and gritty sensibility that she seems to carry back to her own interpretations of his words on the other titles. Members of the group here are usual Lacy conspirators – Aebi on voice and violin, Bobby Few on piano, Steve Potts on alto and soprano saxes, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums. Titles include "Luvzya", "Permutations", "Gay Paree Bop", "Nowhere Street", "Somebody Special", and "Keep The Change" – all of which feature music by Lacy, set to words by Gysin! CD

The title might be a bit of a joke – given that the career of Steve Lacy was never enough to warrant a lot of revenue – but the album's a killer with his group of well-honed players from the European scene – one of those great Lacy combo records that never seems to run out of energy or inspiration! Lacy plays soprano sax – alongside Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and John Betsch on drums – all with that angular, inventive approach to rhythm that was the group's trademark – a style that almost seems to take off from some of Ornette Coleman's early experiments, yet also draw on Lacy's longtime love of Monk, and his own free-thinking tendencies on solo recordings too. Titles include "The Rent", "Revenue", "Gospel", "Esteem", and "The Uh Uh Uh". CD

One of the best Steve Lacy albums from the 80s – a really strong live performance with a definite Monkish approach, served up in a really no-nonsense way! The group's just a quartet – with Lacy on soprano sax, Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums – and the group's in perfect formation in a comfortable Paris setting – working with angular energy and a great sense of timing, and never falling into some of the tricks or gimmicks that could mar other Lacy records from the time. Steve's still razor-sharp at this point in his career, and Potts is, as always, a tremendous partner – and titles include "Morning Joy", "Prospectus", "Epistrophy", "As Usual", and "In Walked Bud". CD

Not just a beautiful display of the talents of pianist Claudine Francois – but also a set that breathes new life into the role of some of Steve Lacy's key bandmates on the Paris scene! Francois is a pianist who's worked before on some world/jazz crossover projects – but who really comes across here with a beautiful approach to jazz – quite freewheeling, lyrical, and very open-ended – yet always with a sense of structure that's really compelling – a way of hanging inside rhythmic progressions with her music, as she explores some very open space with Steve Potts on alto and soprano sax, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and John Betsch on drums. All three players have a quality here that's quite different than the usual Lacy outing – quite soulful at times, and tuned with a perfect ear towards some of Francois' African jazz leanings. Titles include "Lonely Woman", "Flying Eagle", "The Seagulls Of Kristiansund", "Law Years", and "Something About You". CD