Firebirds
One of the West Coast's less-heralded but ceaselessly innovative units, the double-reed team of Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons put their own spin on post-Ornette Coleman jazz during the '60s. The unique team paired Simmons, an Oakland native, with Texan Prince Lasha, the latter a childhood chum and early bandmate of Coleman. By using a unique battery of reed instruments that focused on the upper and middle registers (alto saxes, English horn, flutes, and alto clarinet) while spurning the tenor, the band defined its own tonal turf--a choice made all the more obvious on this recording by the decision to employ vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson instead of a pianist. The result is an unusually delicate sound applied to robust and challenging compositions, suggesting a fusion of Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman, and paving the way for the kind of ensembles often heard during the loft movement of the '70s and '80s. Standouts include the Charlie Parker tribute "Prelude to Bird," the lilting "Island Song," and the incandescent title track.--Fred Goodman