Marion Brown Quartet - La Placita (Live In Willisau) (2016)

For a time this European session by the underrated avant-garde altoist Marion Brown was available through Muse. Brown, who had never before recorded standards, is heard performing adventurous (and somewhat eccentric) renditions of "Sonnymoon For Two" and "Soft Winds" along with three diverse originals (including the somber "Fortunato") and one song by guitarist Brandon Ross. Brown, Ross, bassist Jack Gregg and drummer Steve McCraven recorded this music in Switzerland in 1977 as Brown, after making some notable recordings, was starting to drift into obscurity. The overlooked set is one of Brown's better albums of the 1970's. -- Scott Yanow