AIR hidden gems

I had the great fortune to recently receive a live AIR show from 1979, featuring Fred Hopkins, Steve McCall and Henry Threadgill. For my money they're one of the most interesting and innovative sax trios in the history of the music, and a flagship AACM group that really embodies the aesthetic and ethic of ancient to future, tackling everything from Jelly Roll Morton to Threadgill's own music, which was certainly forward (as well as horizontal) looking.

I like Greg Sandow's description of AIR: "In Air, it's fair to say, nobody kept time, and everyone played melody. Musical space -- normally organized by rhythm and harmony -- is instead shaped by movement. Or, to put the same thing in visual terms, Threadgill's pieces for Air are like surprising pencil drawings, in which you don't see colors or even forms, but which instead are brought to life by the active twisting of the penciled lines."

It's an exaggeration to say nobody kept time - I think it's better to say that everyone kept time and everyone played melody. There are certainly examples of buoyant and joyous rhythmic playing by the band.

It's a remarkably democratic trio. The concert that I'm listening to begins with introductions of the band members by an Italian announcer in the order listed in the title above, and then goes directly into a Steve McCall solo introduction, a tune that has a form of drum solo/head/drum solo/head/ensemble playing/drum solo out.

Threadgill is so versatile. When I listen to him I hear Eddie Harris, Clifford Jordan, John Gilmore, I hear the double reed bombast of the bombard, and so, so much more, all filtered through Threadgill's unique range of musical and life experience. I hear the flute, and I hear sensitive avant balladry. He's always been attuned to issues of timbre, as is obvious by the diverse instrumentation he utilizes in his groups.

As far as I know, Threadgill is still living a secluded life in India with his wife and daughter. He rarely performs in his hometown of Chicago anymore (I think the last time was in the late '90s) or even in the US. I respect his decision to step out of the hustle of modern life although I wish I had more opportunities to hear his music live. His recorded output is so consistently good in my opinion that I can't complain about the rate of the releases.