Joe Morris/ William Parker/ Gerald Cleaver – Altitude (2012)

Not long after Joe Morris and William Parker signed up with the then-fledging AUM Fidelity record label specializing in improvised music, AUM founder Steven Joerg and Morris talked about making a trio record involving both Morris and Parker, along with drummer Gerald Cleaver. Like many good ideas, this one fell by the wayside to make room for other projects. However, last year’s two week space set aside by John Zorn for AUM Fidelity to organize an event at The Stone celebrating its 15th anniversary gave Joerg the opening he was looking for. He booked Morris, Parker and Cleaver for one of those evenings and the music just happened. It was also documented, and that document is coming forth on CD next week. It’s called Altitude.

When I first learned of this upcoming release I was ready to swear up and down that this get-together was just the latest by these three. Nope. These exceptional musicians, all at the top of the heap for their respective instruments within the downtown New York scene have never worked together as three. Perhaps I was thinking of Farmers By Nature, which has Parker and Cleaver collaborating with Craig Taborn, or perhaps Ivo Perelman’s album from early this year, Family Ties where the saxophonist is backed up by Morris and Cleaver.