If New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz, and New York the scene of its apotheosis, it was Chicago that really pushed the music towards the avant garde. The solemn, raucous, politically charged experiments of the late 1960s and early 1970s - embodied by the Art Ensemble of Chicago – were hugely influential on succeeding generations, and AEC founder Roscoe Mitchell was one of the most important figures in the movement.
At 76, the saxophonist is still bearing that particular torch forward, and for this live performance at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, he leads a distinguished line-up of younger players - including pianist Craig Taborn, drummer Tyshawn Sorey and saxophonist James Frei – connecting the noble aspirations of the 1970s iconoclasts to the still unfinished business of the 21st century avant-garde.
