Steve Lacy - The Cry (1999)

Saxophonist Lacy provides listeners with an engaging, lyrical selection of material. Featured here is Lacy's long-time collaborator acoustic bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel; each offering lengthy periods of soloing. Fluid and stunning, Avenel migrates over the expanse of his instrument's ebony fingerboard conjuring compelling and commanding melodies with effortless virtuosity. An entirely different face of Lacy, this is the man at his experimental best. His wife, Irene Aebi, joins on vocals. As much as the fragmented and angular musical lines, Aebi's theatric and often spoken delivery gives this music its art jazz quality. Added instrumentation is more saxophones, bass clarinet, percussion, and especially the harpsichord. © Tom Schulte