Return of the Lost Tribe

It's an event when AACM members collaborate on disc. The former Art Ensemble stalwart Jarman (alto sax, flute, ) and the incendiary tenor saxophonist McIntyre team up to form a most powerful and prolific front line as you'll ever hear in creative music. Colson's rarely recorded piano, the always joyous Favors on bass, and El'Zabar's African informed percussion wizardry provide the ideal backdrop for the countless bright moments heard on this CD.

Every cut bears a close listening. The opening title track has a three chord modality that is a springboard for McIntyre's extroverted musings, beyond 'Trane-Shepp-Ayler-Frank Wright, while Jarman's gets into a tuneful exploration. "Song Of Joy For the Predestined" is a free bop bash, very Art Ensemblish, but faded prematurely, as if to save time. "Kudus" is truly a joy, with Jarman's fluttering flute, modal bass and mbira, and Jarman reciting poetry while Zabar chants. "Dance'm" is a bluesy swing expressing resonant deep blue in tandem saxophone lines, while "Prayer At Twilight" is free floating with Colson's beautiful piano, and McIntyre's "Love Supreme" rambunctious tenor. "Ornette" sports another ostinato bass with chanting, piano and percussion underpinning, while "Dream Of" also is buoyant and floating, allowing Jarman and McIntyre plenty of space to invent and feed off each other's pensive feelings.

The final lines of "Kudus" read "we see, we feel, we love, we rejoice." Anyone who enjoys the true creative masters of the AACM playing once again can easily echo those sentiments. This is a landmark recording for these five individuals who come together in so many real and important musical ways. It is, for listeners of this type of improvised music, a definitive recording, and one of the best of 1998. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi