Songs In the Wind

One of the greatest records to come out of Victo's (the record label of the Victoriaville Festival in Quebec) catalog is this 13-selection set by the Art Ensemble of Chicago multi-instrumentalist Roscoe Mitchell. Issued ion 1991, it covers two separate recording dates from studios in Madison, WI. The reason for its quality is that it appeared during a period in which the Art Ensemble were inactive, and Mitchell himself hadn't recorded in two years. With his Sound Ensemble, Mitchell was a force, always exploring the edges of expression in a group setting. But here, playing solo, duos, and trios, Mitchell reached deep inside himself in a way he hadn't since recording for Chuck Nessa's Nessa label in the late '70s. His solo pieces on soprano saxophone were re-examining the various textures and atmospheres the horn was capable of revealing for its limited tonal range. In duos with both Vincent Davis and Steve Sylvester, Mitchell brought out the majority of the woodwind family to hold their own against "Bull Roarers and Wind Wands." In trios with either Richard Davis on bass or Vartan Manoogian on violin, Mitchell added percussion to his arsenal. And the point of it all was simple: He was restless for a kind of musical contact that would examine his chosen instruments in settings where sonic possibility and tonal architecture were one and the same. Through overtones, and micro and polytonalities, Mitchell was seeking, looking relentlessly through the framework of spatial relationship and a stretched notion of time to find something he knew he was looking for, but couldn't put his finger on. These are mostly minimal pieces — lots of empty space between phrases and single notes, scratched surfaces, and ungodly sounds at times, but assembled, these 13 tracks are a work of great beauty, true virtuoso invention, and yes, heart, great heart.