Tribute To Lester

It’s hard to imagine making an Art Ensemble of Chicago record without its star trumpeter, Lester Bowie, but saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, bassist Malachi Favors Maghostut, and drummer Famoudou Don Moye did just that two years after his death in 1999. While one certainly feels a presence in his absence, the AEC’s chemistry as a trio makes for a stellar listening experience. Mitchell’s “Suite for Lester” is a highlight among highlights, not least of all for its shining sopranism. In the freely improvised diptych that closes out the set, we get the full gamut of Bowie’s life: robust, earthen, sincere.