Hey Donald

Even while pursuing various outré sonic adventures, the members of the AACM never distanced themselves from the blues, R&B and the other more populist musical traditions that informed them early on. Roscoe Mitchell drove home that point on this 1994 session, which found him teaming with his Art Ensemble of Chicago comrade Malachi Favors, local pal and AACM co-founder Jodie Christian, and master drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath for an eclectic set paying tribute to another early AACM member, Donald Myrick, a saxophonist who worked with Howlin’ Wolf, Earth Wind & Fire and many other illustrious names. It’s a treat to hear Mitchell blowing on his father Roscoe Sr.’s R&B tune “Walking in the Moonlight” and swinging in good-natured fashion on his own title track and Lester Bowie’s bop-informed “Zero,” while also making room for free-form excursions like the potently bizarre “Dragons” and a series of probing duets with Favors.