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140 Roscoe Mitchell Saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, an early member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, recorded his first album in 1966, Sound, with its new approach to improvised music. The sextet he assembled for that session grew into the Art Ensemble of Chicago, which still performs occasionally, in modified form, more than forty years later. I started listening to the first releases when they came out in 1965. Some I really loved a lot, especially Albert Ayler, Spiritual Unity. Also, the New York Art Quartet. I thought it was a very advanced move for ESP to do those recordings. I met Albert Ayler when I was in the army, because he was in the Orléans, France, band and I was in the Heidelberg, Germany, band. Sometimes our bands would go to Berlin. We’d put three bands together and do these large parades and concerts. I didn’t quite understand exactly what he was doing at that time, but as a saxophonist I did recognize that he had an enormous talent on the instrument. One time we were having a session, playing the blues, and Albert played the first three choruses of the blues straight ahead, so to speak, and then after he started to stretch the limits. Th a t made a big impression on me. [On ESP’s troubled financial history, not being an ESP artist] I don’t believe I ever talked to anyone about that, people who were involved in the label. It wasn’t a point that I ever approached with anybody. I’m finding that out now. ...

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