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
Eastern Sounds cover

Eastern Sounds

Yusef Lateef
Uneasy cover

Uneasy

Tyshawn Sorey, Vijay Iyer, Linda Oh
Gub cover

Gub

Pigface
Inexpressible Infinity cover

Inexpressible Infinity

Levitation Orchestra
Three Crowns cover

Three Crowns

Maciej Obara
Blood Moon cover

Blood Moon

Ingrid Laubrock, Kris Davis
From the River to the Ocean cover

From the River to the Ocean

Hamid Drake, Fred Anderson
12 Stars cover

12 Stars

Melissa Aldana
In Baltimore cover

In Baltimore

George Coleman Quintet
Cyborg cover

Cyborg

Klaus Schulze