Derek Bailey, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Calvin Weston - Mirakle (2000)

In one of the most unlikely groupings in music history, avant-skronk guitar godfather Derek Bailey teams up with the harmolodic, free funk rhythm section of Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Calvin Weston. Weston and Tacuma have been the anchor for Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer, and James Carter's first electric album; Weston has been a member of the Lounge Lizards, so these guys can clearly cut a groove. You'd be hard-pressed to say that Derek Bailey has ever grooved in his recorded career. That's what makes Mirakle so much fun. No one compromises their individual sound or strengths, but each is a good enough listener and improviser to make things happen as a group. Weston and Tacuma lay it down super funky, while Derek Bailey does his thing over the top, and it works! Who says the avant-garde can't be a rocking good time? © Sean Westergaard