” Yo Miles! has gone beyond the fundamental with songs that breathe the spirit of Davis to create an atmosphere that resonates with a fire and an essence of their very own. Kaiser and Smith’s knowing explorations through Miles’ complex electro-funk realm revisits the dread while expanding the beauty.”-All About Jazz.

Yo Miles! comprises 160 minutes of music, presented in 2 CD-long suites developed from original Miles Davis themes and compositions plus an orignal composed by Wadada, and encoded in sonically superior HDCD format. It is the first recording to explicitly explore the alchemical implications of what Miles himself was doing in the peak electric period, 1973-’75.

To journey with them on their own expeditions, Wadada Leo Smith and Henry Kaiser created a core band with guitarists Nels Cline (of Geraldine Fibbers) and Chris Muir, drummer / percussionists Wally Ingram and Lukas Ligeti (son of the famous composer Gyorgi Ligeti), and bass guitarist Michael Manring.
http://adagio.calarts.edu/~wls/pages/yo_miles.html#audio
Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo SMith. Yo Miles!

Sabir Mateen is one of those highly active free jazz musicians who play in many bands (TEST, William Parker’s Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, The Other Other Quartet, Earth People to name but a few). By comparison, he has released relatively little as a leader, and that’s a pity. Apart from Mateen on tenor, alto, flute, clarinet and alto clarinet, the band further consists of Raymond A.King on piano, Jane Wang on bass and cello and Ravish Momin on drums, talking drums and percussion. Mateen has always been a free jazz man in heart and soul, enjoying the rhythms, enjoying the freedom, enjoying the expressiveness, enjoying the interplay, and going at it to the full. Mateen is great on this album, and so is the band, and they are at their best in the high energy full steam moments, when the four musicians push each other forward relentlessly… http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2008/07/sabir-mateen-other-places-other-spaces.html
Sabir Mateen Quartet. other places other spaces

Nicole Mitchell/Harrison Bankhead/Hamid Drake, Indigo Trio, Live in Montreal. Recorded during a 2005 tour of Canada, this trio of stalwart, AACM inspired artists truly lays out a gem with this recording. These are three of Chicago’s finest improvisers doing what they do best in front of an enthusiastic , festival audience. To say the least, Greenleaf Music is proud to have this recording in the catalog . Here’s what Nicole Mitchell has to say about Indigo Trio, Live in Montreal: ” This concert in Montreal was our first performance as a trio, although we’ve played together for many years. The music was recorded live at the Suoni per IL Popolo Festival on June 13, 2005. Hamid and Harrison have played together since they were fourteen, Harrison and I have worked together in Frequency with Ed Wilkerson since 2000, and Hamid has played and recorded over the years with my Black Earth Ensemble . Indigo Trio features the adventurous music of our friendship: connected, intuitive and playful. http://www.greenleafmusic.com/liveinmontreal Indigo Trio Live in Montreal.”

Cheers.

For what its worth – here is my Top 10 Blue Note album list (for now!) –

1) “No Room for Squares” – Hank Mobley – presence of Lee Morgan is always sweet but the inclusion of Andrew Hill makes this more special!
2) “Inventions and Dimensions” – Herbie Hancock – simultaneously sparse and yet rich, an unusual LP that gets me everytime
3) “Complete Communion” – Don Cherry – tremendous quartet session with every player a giant!
4) “Evolution” – Grachan Moncur III – desert island disc all the way, Lee Morgan and Jackie McLean here for good measure to assist one of my favorite trombonists and a top-notch composer too!
5) “One Flight Up” – Dexter Gordon – perhaps one of my more emotional pics, as most would pick other Gordon efforts, but the first few notes of the opening track “Tanya” (18 mins long!) just grabs me!
6) “Cape Verdean Blues” – Horace Silver – a remarkable musical achievement, easily one of my favorite jazz LPs period – Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, and J. J. Johnson make this a true gem!
7) “Adam’s Apple” – Wayne Shorter – remarkable quartet date – so Shorter’s horn gets full focus, as well as his well-honed composing skills – classic!
8) “Street of Dreams” – Grant Green – your pick of “Matador” is hard to argue with – it is amazing! – I chose this LP mostly because of the interplay of Green with vibist Hutcherson – which is breathtaking, and then you add John Patton’s organ underneath and all around and you really have something!
9) “Unity” – Larry Young – wow, wow, wow! – this smokes – it is stupid-good, with an unusual quartet of Young, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, and Elvin Jones!
10) “Expansions” – McCoy Tyner – amazing LP which I challenge anyone to play softly! – with a frontline of Gary Bartz, Woody Shaw, and Wayne Shorter – a definitive inside/outside date from Tyner – this LP brings it!!

Let the debate begin!!