Art Ensemble Of Chicago - The Meeting (2003)

The 2003 album "The Meeting" marks the significant return of Joseph Jarman to the Art Ensemble of Chicago, following his retirement in the early 1990s. While released concurrently with a formal tribute to the late Lester Bowie, this particular recording more effectively encapsulates the ensemble's core philosophy of blending free improvisation with non-Western folk traditions. The repertoire spans from the hard-bop influences of "Hail We Now Sing Joy" to the expansive, 19-minute textural study "It’s the Sign of the Times," which revisits the group's early experimental roots. The album serves as a masterful reunion, balancing profound sonic exploration with the band's signature sense of play, successfully navigating the void left by Bowie without attempting to replicate his unique voice.

Tracklist:
1-1 Art Ensemble Of Chicago;Art Ensemble of Chicago - Hail We Now Sing Joy [4:56]
1-2 Art Ensemble Of Chicago;Art Ensemble of Chicago - It's The Sign of the Times [18:44]
1-3 Art Ensemble Of Chicago;Art Ensemble of Chicago - Tech Ritter and the Megabytes [4:23]
1-4 Art Ensemble Of Chicago;Art Ensemble of Chicago - Wind and Drum [11:09]
1-5 Art Ensemble Of Chicago;Art Ensemble of Chicago - The Meeting [6:50]
1-6 Art Ensemble Of Chicago;Art Ensemble of Chicago - Amin Bidness [8:33]
1-7 Art Ensemble Of Chicago;Art Ensemble of Chicago - The Train To Io [4:54]