Sirius Calling

Album review

After trumpeter Lester Bowie's death in 1999, it looked as if the Art Ensemble of Chicago was finished. With multi-reedist Joseph Jarman having left the group in the early 1990s, the unit was down to a trio consisting of multi-reedist Roscoe Mitchell, bassist Malachi Favors and drummer Don Moye. However Jarman soon rejoined the Art Ensemble and the group continued to work. Favors' death in early 2004 was a major blow, but the band, with different bassists, has not died. Sirius Calling is Favors' last recording and it features the quartet on 14 originals. The music is as adventurous as ever, ranging from Mitchell's circular breathing feature on the title cut and a few whimsical moments to group improvising. One misses Bowie's sense of humor and sound, and a few of the percussion pieces (particularly "Taiko") seem aimless and meandering, but the interplay between the four musicians, the mood variation (which ranges from jubilant to introspective sound explorations) and the wide range of tonal colors (Mitchell and Jarman play many different instruments) usually keep the concise music continually intriguing.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo