The Dark Tree cover

The Dark Tree

Recorded
Released

Pianist Tapscott was a crucial figure in West Coast avant-garde jazz for decades, leading the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra since the 1960s. This live double disc, recorded in 1989, showcases his playing in a different context: a quartet featuring clarinetist John Carter, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Andrew Cyrille, whose precision strikes throughout and marching rhythm on “Lino’s Pad” in particular give the music a fierce intensity. Tapscott’s music had a questing quality that strove for beauty and uplift, and this is the sound of his spirit in full flower.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Live Volume V cover

Live Volume V

Fred Anderson
Dance of the Evil Toys cover

Dance of the Evil Toys

Tarbaby, Oliver Lake
Jazz Codes cover

Jazz Codes

Moor Mother
Thembi cover

Thembi

Pharoah Sanders
Contemporary Chaos Practices - Two Works for Orchestra With Soloists cover

Contemporary Chaos Practices - Two Works for Orchestra With Soloists

Ingrid Laubrock, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Nate Wooley
Time Lines cover

Time Lines

Andrew Hill
Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley cover

Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley

Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas, Ted Nash
Parlando cover

Parlando

Christopher Clarino
1961 cover

1961

Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, Steve Swallow
Inexpressible Infinity cover

Inexpressible Infinity

Levitation Orchestra