William Parker

"Brown is one of the hardest hitting alto players currently on the scene ...

“He is sonic, he is time, he is gesture,” writes contrabassist Mark Helias about Tony Malaby in his liner notes for “Tamarindo.” Helias knows his stuff. Malaby’s reputation as a complete tenor and soprano saxophonist continues to grow and his modesty and absolute dedication to his music have become legend.

When David S. Ware plays his distinctive tenor saxophone, one cannot help but think he is a direct disciple of John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and David Murray. His edgy, dour, and dynamic sound retains a verve, control, and balance that many free improvisers cannot claim.

New Orleans tenor saxophone legend Kidd Jordan's annual treks north to perform late-night sets with Windy City tenor legend Fred Anderson during the run of the Chicago Jazz Festival have become an institution.

"Let's be bold: the David S. Ware Quartet is the best small band in jazz today. I realize that I will almost certainly hear another quartet, or trio or quintet or octet, this week or next, that will make me want to backpedal. But every time I see Ware's group or return to the records, it flushes the competition from memory." -- Gary Giddins, Village Voice

Tenor saxophonist David S. Ware's quartet has become a key institution of the "ecstatic" movement--latter-day free jazz--delivering nonstop intensity with the leader's vast, harrowing wail, the complex detailing of pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist William Parker beneath, and the roll and tumble of a series of drummers.

New York City's annual Vision Festival is quickly becoming one of this country's most prestigious showcases for free, creative, and experimental jazz music. To raise funding for the event, organizers have issued this limited edition two-CD set featuring the greatest hits of the 1997 festival.