2019 two CD set. Comprised of two discs: a meticulous studio session and the capture of a rousing live set at Edgefest in Ann Arbor, MI, We are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration is exactly that, a commemoration of a half-century of magical music making. The greatness of The Art Ensemble of Chicago has always been the shared commitment of it's original members - Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Malachi Favors, and Famoudou Don Moye - to the total realm of African diasporic music: what they have long-termed Great Black Music - Ancient to the Future. Also important are the group's disparate musical and artistic personalities, comprised of jazz, advanced compositional techniques, theatrical performance, poetry, Pan-African percussion, all tied together with improvisational flair and the exploration of pure sound.

Pressed on 180-gram green marbled vinyl and restored & remastered from the original tapes. Housed in a faithfully reproduced gatefold sleeve with a classy matte laminate varnish, it also includes an insert featuring a new and insightful essay by renowned author & music journalist John Masouri. The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe, audiophile edition This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

1969 original BYG Records album now available in a Deluxe Edition, featuring a definitive remastered edition restored and mastered from the original master tapes. Housed in a deluxe gatefold digi-sleeve with a matte laminate finish and printed wallet, it also includes a 16-page booklet with sleeve notes by John Masouri. The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe, audiophile edition This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free.

Pressed on 180-gram vinyl and restored & remastered from the original tapes. Housed in a faithfully reproduced gatefold sleeve with a classy matte laminate varnish, it also includes an insert featuring a new and insightful essay by renowned author & music journalist John Masouri. The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe, audiophile edition This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

We Are On The Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration is not only a commemoration of a half-century of magical music making, but also a loving tribute to the band's three original members who have passed: Lester Bowie, Malachi Favors, and most recently, Joseph Jarman. The group converged in Ann Arbor in October 16-20, 2018 for five days of rehearsals and recording. The sheer breadth of the ensemble's collective expression is staggering, ranging from Mitchell's art songs and through-composed pieces, Moye's percussion workouts, and, of course, collective improvisation. Particularly powerful is the contribution of Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa), who, to prepare for the recording, was given nothing more than some old Art Ensemble recordings to listen to and the directive from Mitchell to "just be you."

The Art Ensemble's daring finale to their BYG Actuel trilogy, captured in the heart of Paris, 1969-a seismic moment in free jazz history, now reborn in it's ultimate remastered edition, lovingly restored from the original tapes, wrapped in deluxe packaging, and enriched with fresh insights from acclaimed writer John Masouri. Reese and the Smooth Ones was captured during the same revolutionary Paris session as Message to Our Folks, but stands apart as a two-part, 40-minute odyssey of unchained invention. Arriving in Paris just days before recording, the Ensemble-Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Joseph Jarman-landed with nothing but their instruments, ideas, and a fierce determination to create. Funded by the proceeds of Bowie's personal sacrifice, their journey from New York was a leap of faith that sparked an artistic revolution. Their Paris performances stunned audiences with a bold fusion of free jazz, spoken word, Dadaist theatre, and Afrocentric consciousness, setting a new precedent for what music could be. This deluxe reissue celebrates a defining moment in the Art Ensemble's legacy-raw, urgent, and uncompromising. It's an essential document for longtime fans, collectors, and anyone interested in the outer edges of jazz, politics, and sound.

The Art Ensemble's daring finale to their BYG Actuel trilogy, captured in the heart of Paris, 1969-a seismic moment in free jazz history, now reborn in it's ultimate remastered edition, lovingly restored from the original tapes, wrapped in deluxe packaging, and enriched with fresh insights from acclaimed writer John Masouri. Reese and the Smooth Ones was captured during the same revolutionary Paris session as Message to Our Folks, but stands apart as a two-part, 40-minute odyssey of unchained invention. Arriving in Paris just days before recording, the Ensemble-Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Joseph Jarman-landed with nothing but their instruments, ideas, and a fierce determination to create. Funded by the proceeds of Bowie's personal sacrifice, their journey from New York was a leap of faith that sparked an artistic revolution. Their Paris performances stunned audiences with a bold fusion of free jazz, spoken word, Dadaist theatre, and Afrocentric consciousness, setting a new precedent for what music could be. This deluxe reissue celebrates a defining moment in the Art Ensemble's legacy-raw, urgent, and uncompromising. It's an essential document for longtime fans, collectors, and anyone interested in the outer edges of jazz, politics, and sound.

The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe edition. Housed in a CD gatefold digi-sleeve that echoes the vibe of the original LP, it includes a 16-page booklet and an inner printed wallet, along with a new and insightful essay by renowned author & music journalist John Masouri. This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

This edition features heavyweight vinyl showcasing the original 1969 BYG Records album, restored & remastered from the original master tapes. It comes in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a matte laminate finish, along with an insert featuring liner notes by John Masouri. The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe, audiophile edition This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

The Spiritual, a free jazz album recorded by The Art Ensemble of Chicago in 1974, finds the group of stellar musicians at their creative peak. With various types of percussion, though the absence of a traditional drummer, the ensemble is able to create vivid, freeing compositions without the confines of conventional structure. The quartet, consisting of Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Malachi Favors, explore the depths of Avant-Garde Jazz through a means that has yet to be touched on in a comparable capacity. Previously released on red color vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day, The Spiritual will now be widely available on coke bottle clear color vinyl.

Art Ensemble of Chicago "The Sixth Decade - From Paris to Paris" Roscoe Mitchell, Famoudou Don Moye, Roco Co´rdova, Erina Newkirk, Moor Mother, Nicole Mitchell, Hugh Ragin, Simon Sieger, Jean Cook, Eddy Kwon, Tomeka Reid, Brett Carson, Junius Paul, Silvia Bolognesi, Jaribu Shahid, Dudu` Kouate´, Enoch Williamson, Babu Atiba, Doussou Toure´, Steed Cowart

This edition features heavyweight orange vinyl showcasing the original 1969 BYG Records album, restored & remastered from the original master tapes. It comes in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a matte laminate finish, along with an insert featuring liner notes by John Masouri. The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe, audiophile edition This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

Art Ensemble of Chicago "The Sixth Decade - From Paris to Paris" Roscoe Mitchell, Famoudou Don Moye, Roco Co´rdova, Erina Newkirk, Moor Mother, Nicole Mitchell, Hugh Ragin, Simon Sieger, Jean Cook, Eddy Kwon, Tomeka Reid, Brett Carson, Junius Paul, Silvia Bolognesi, Jaribu Shahid, Dudu` Kouate´, Enoch Williamson, Babu Atiba, Doussou Toure´, Steed Cowart

Tutankhamun, the 1969 album by avant-garde jazz pioneers Art Ensemble of Chicago, features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Favors Maghostut. As the AllMusic review states, "This landmark album is one of the most influential free jazz recordings in the '60s avant-garde canon." Previously out of print for over three decades, Tutankhamun has been remastered for vinyl at Infrasonic Mastering and pressed on audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas in Germany. As a bonus, the reissue features "Tthinitthedalen" Part 1 and 2, closing out sides A and B, respectively. This limited edition pressing comes on metallic silver color vinyl.