Henry Threadgill - You Know the Number

Henry Threadgill is a genius who speaks a unique yet instantly-recognizable language. He started as a member of Chicago's AACM and leader of the trio Air, with Fred Hopkins and Steve McCall. He is a stunning composer, and combines the best elements of densely written, structured compositions with free improvisation. This disc features a slightly unusual instrumentation by "normal" standards, though not as unusual as on some of Threadgill's other recordings. The lineup: Threadgill on bass flute and alto & tenor saxes, Rasul Sadik on trumpet, Frank Lacy on trombone, Diedre Murray on cello, Fred Hopkins on bass, and two drummers: Pheeroan Aklaff and Reggie Nicholson.

My favorite tune here is "Theme from Thomas Cole." It's a brilliantly written piece with a couple of quirky melody lines that play off each other. After the fanfare intro, the trombone and cello play the first line. The second line (played by sax and bass) falls on top of the first and fits into the spaces like puzzle pieces. "Good Times" is a gas-- it's fun to an almost embarrasing extreme. The final cut, "Those Who Eat Cookies" sounds like some kind of demented marching band, and illustrates another trademark of Threadgill's writing: thoroughly modern sounding music that has deep historical roots.

The playing on this disc is equally as brilliant as the compositions. Threadgill's solos are masterpieces of freedom within structure, Frank Lacy's trombone punches through walls, and the interplay between Diedre Murray and Fred Hopkins is telepathic. Sadik's trumpet cuts through the upper airways with pointed clusters of notes. And the two drummers, Nicholson and Aklaff, form a senstive yet powerful foundation.

This disc is one of my absolute favorite jazz CDs that I own. For some time it has been hard to track down the original RCA/Novus CD, but now I understand that Threadgill himself has reissued it himself on CD-Rs available directly from him or through Downtown Music Gallery. Grab it!!