Two complete LPs by
the Art Ensemble of Chicago are reissued in full on this single CD. Recorded in Paris originally for the BYG label, these intriguing and diverse performances feature
the Art Ensemble when they were a quartet (before drummer
Don Moye joined). Trumpeter
Lester Bowie, saxophonists
Roscoe Mitchell and
Joseph Jarman, and bassist
Malachi Favors all are heard playing many other instruments; for example,
Jarman plays soprano, alto, clarinet, oboe, flute, marimba, vibes, congas, bells, whistles, gongs, siren, and guitar. The wide-ranging music mostly succeeds at looking both backwards (in eccentric ways) and toward the future. Of particular interest are "Old Time Religion," some credible bebop on "Dexterity," the funky "Rock Out," a demented "The Waltz," and the lengthy jams on "Song for Charles" and "A Brain for the Seine." Fascinating and always-colorful music that certainly breaks down a lot of musical barriers.