Atavistic Records
2006
Esteem 1975
About This Album
This volume in Atavistic's Unheard Music Series is a smoking transitional gig from the Steve Lacy Quintet live in Paris in 1975. The band featured Lacy on soprano, saxophonist Steve Potts, bassist Kent Carter, Irène Aebi on cello and violin (no vocals), and percussionist Kenneth Tyler -- in other words, half of the members of the great Steve Lacy Sextet that came together later are here. This music is truly previously unheard in that it was made available from the late saxophonist's cassette archives by Aebi, his widow. It was recorded during an extended engagement at La Cour des Miracles, a club in Paris that the band frequented in those years. Sans piano, there is a great space in the middle of this music; it is a space filled by the soloists to be sure, particularly Potts, who is simply wild in both his harmonic invention and in his free playing. Lacy actually takes a back seat on some of these tunes, which would become memorable compositions, such as the title track, "The Uh Uh Uh" (a tribute to Jimi Hendrix), and the opener, "The Crust," both of which stretch well over ten minutes. The recording's closer, "The Duck," is nearly 20 minutes long.
Track List (try tracks 2,3 and 5)

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