Search - Air :: Live Air

The title begs the question: when wasn't Air live? True to its name, the late-'70s trio was the most contemplative expression of that widely influential Chicago coalition, the Association for the Advancement of Colored Musicians. But relative quietude notwithstanding, chaos rumbled in Air's exploration of rootsy timbres. The elemental trio consisted of Henry Threadgill on horns (primarily alto sax), Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on percussion (later replaced by Pheeroan Aklaff). Hopkins's walking bass kept Air grounded, but when he pulled out his bow he could ride the tangents as well as McCall did his cymbals. Threadgill, meanwhile, eked spiritual vigor from squeaks, chords, and catchy riffs. The title of the closing cut, the album's most straightforward, says it best: "Be Ever Out." --Marc Weidenbaum