DISC ONE

1. Card Two: The Jick or Mandrill’s Cosmic Ass (A) 7:29

2. Card Five: Open Air Suit (A) 10:18

3. Card Four: Strait White Royal Flush…78 (A) 6:14

4. Card One: Cutten (2 Knuckles, 2 Widows, 2 Tricks)/3 X 1 (A) 15:30

5. Let’s All Go Down To The Footwash (B) 10:25

6. Abra (B) 13:00

DISC TWO

1. Suisse Air (B) 15:23

(Threadgill-Hopkins-McCall)

2. The Ragtime Dance (C) 9:19

(Scott Joplin – arranged by Threadgill-Hopkins-McCall)

3. Buddy Bolden’s Blues (C) 9:28

(Jelly Roll Morton) Edwin H. Morris & Co. ASCAP

4. King Porter Stomp (C) 3:48

(Jelly Roll Morton) Edwin H. Morris & Co. ASCAP

5. Paille Street (C) 2:19

6. Weeping Willow Rag (C)  11:36

(Scott Joplin – arranged by Threadgill-Hopkins-McCall)

DISC THREE

1. Sir Simpleton (D) 6:28

2. Celebration (D) 13:30

3. Air Song (D) 10:22

4. Fe Fi Fo Fum (D) 13:03

5. Luap Nosebor (E) 11:34

6. Salute To The Enema Bandit (E) 10:21

7. Melin (E) 6:29

DISC FOUR

1. Bermuda Blues (F) 9:27

2. Silver And Gold Baby, Silver And Gold (F) 5:44

3. Theme From Thomas Cole (F) 6:40

4. Good Times (F) 6:35

5. To Be Announced (F) 6:29

6. Paille Street (F) 4:26

7. Those Who Eat Cookies (F) 6:19

8. I Can’t Wait Till I Get Home (G) 4:08

            (Olu Dara)

9. Black Hands Bejewelled (G) 7:05

10. Spotted Dick Is Pudding (G) 8:54

DISC FIVE

1. Let Me Look Down Your Throat or Say Ah (G) 7:12

2. My Rock (G) 8:11

3. Hall (dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams) (G) 4:15

4. Award The Squadtett (G) 7:02

5. Off The Rag (H) 12:42

6. The Devil Is On The Loose And Dancin’ With a Monkey (H) 6:42

7. Gift (H) 5:44

8. Sweet Holy Rag (H) 13:23

DISC SIX

1. Come Carry The Day (I) 6:16

2. Growing A Big Banana (I) 3:30

3. Vivjanrondirkski (I) 5:55

4. Between Orchids Lillies Blind Eyes and Cricket (I) 7:48

5. Hyla Crucifer…Silence Of (I) 6:11

6. Jenkins Boys Again, Wish Somebody Die, It’s Hot (I) 7:40

DISC SEVEN

1. Noisy Flowers (J) 6:42

2. Like It Feels (J) 11:17

3. Official Silence (J) 8:54

4. Retired Poverty (J) 9:04

5. Make Hot And Give (J) 7:56

6. The Mockingbird Sin (J) 12:13

7. Dirty In The Right Places (J) 8:11

DISC EIGHT

1. 100 Year Old Game (K) 10:55

2. Laughing Club (K) 5:00

3. Where’s Your Cup? (K) 11:15

4. And This (K) 13:40

5. Feel’s Like It (K) 6:39

6. The Flew (K) 9:50

7. Go To Far (K) 8:56

All compositions by Henry Threadgill, unless otherwise noted.

(A) AIR – OPEN AIR SUIT

Henry Threadgill, alto, tenor and baritone sax, flute; Fred Hopkins, bass, maracas, stick; Steve McCall, drums, percussion.

Produced by Michael Cuscuna

Recorded at CI Recording Studios, New York City on February 21 & 22, 1978

Recording and remix engineer: David Baker

Card Two: The Jick or Mandrill’s Cosmic Ass

Card Five: Open Air Suit

Card Four: Strait White Royal Flush…78

Card One: Cutten (2 Knuckles, 2 Widows, 2 Tricks)/3 X 1

All titles issued on Arista Novus (LP) AN 3002

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(B) AIR – MONTREUX SUISSE AIR

Henry Threadgill, alto, tenor and baritone sax, hubkaphone; Fred Hopkins, bass; Steve McCall, drums, percussion.

Produced by Michael Cuscuna

Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 22, 1978 by Mountain Recording Studio.

Recording and remix engineer: Marlin Pearson

Let’s All Go Down To The Footwash

Abra

Suisse Air

All titles issued on Arista Novus (LP) AN 3008

------------------------------------------

(C) AIR – AIRLORE

Henry Threadgill, alto and tenor sax, flute; Fred Hopkins, bass; Steve McCall, drums, percussion.

Produced by Michael Cuscuna

Recorded at CI Recording Studios, New York City on May 11 & 12, 1979

Recording and remix engineer: David Baker

The Ragtime Dance

Buddy Bolden’s Blues

King Porter Stomp

Paille Street

Weeping Willow Rag

All titles issued on Arista Novus (LP) AN 3014

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(D) HENRY THREADGILL – X-75, Volume 1

Collective personnel: Douglas Ewart, Joseph Jarman, Henry Threadgill, Wallace McMillan, reeds (heard left to right in the mix); Amina Claudine Myers, voice; Leonard Jones, Brian Smith, Rufus Reid and Fred Hopkins, basses (heard left to right in the mix).

Produced by Michael Cuscuna

Recorded at CI Recording Studios, New York City on January 13, 1979

Recording engineer: David Baker

Remix engineer: Elvin Campbell

Douglas Ewart, piccolo; Joseph Jarman, flute; Henry Threadgill, bass flute; Wallace McMillan, alto flute; Amina Claudine Myers, voice.

Air Song

Douglas Ewart, piccolo; Joseph Jarman, flute; Henry Threadgill, bass flute; Wallace McMillan, alto flute; Amina Claudine Myers, voice; Brian Smith, piccolo bass, bass; Leonard Jones, Rufus Reid and Fred Hopkins, bass.

Celebration

Douglas Ewart, flute, bass clarinet; Joseph Jarman, flute, soprano sax; Henry Threadgill, flute, alto sax; Wallace McMillan, flute, piccolo; Amina Claudine Myers, voice; Brian Smith, piccolo bass; Leonard Jones, Rufus Reid and Fred Hopkins, bass.

Fe Fi Fo Fum

Douglas Ewart, bass clarinet; Joseph Jarman, soprano sax; Henry Threadgill, alto sax; Wallace McMillan, piccolo; Amina Claudine Myers, voice; Brian Smith, piccolo bass; Leonard Jones, Rufus Reid and Fred Hopkins, bass.

Sir Simpleton

All titles issued on Arista Novus (LP) AN 3013

------------------------------------

(E) HENRY THREADGILL – X-75, Volume 2

Collective personnel: Douglas Ewart, Joseph Jarman, Henry Threadgill, Wallace McMillan, reeds (heard left to right in the mix); Leonard Jones, Brian Smith, Rufus Reid and Fred Hopkins, basses (heard left to right in the mix).

Produced by Michael Cuscuna

Recorded at CI Recording Studios, New York City on January 15, 1979

Recording engineer: David Baker

Remix engineer: Mark Wilder

Douglas Ewart, piccolo; Joseph Jarman, alto flute; Henry Threadgill, bass flute; Wallace McMillan, flute.

Luap Nosebor

Douglas Ewart, bass clarinet; Joseph Jarman, bass clarinet; Henry Threadgill, baritone  sax; Wallace McMillan, baritone sax; Brian Smith, octobass; Leonard Jones, Rufus Reid and Fred Hopkins, bass.

Salute To The Enema Bandit

Henry Threadgill, bass flute; Brian Smith, piccolo bass; Leonard Jones, Rufus Reid and Fred Hopkins, bass.

Melin

All titles previously unissued

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(F) HENRY THREADGILL SEXTETT – YOU KNOW THE NUMBER

Henry Threadgill, alto and tenor sax; bass flute; Rasul Siddik, trumpet; Frank Lacy, trombone; Deidre Murray, cello; Fred Hopkins, bass; Pheeroan Aklaff (left), Reggie Ncholson (right), percussion.

Produced by Ed Michel

Recorded at Uptown Chelsea Studios, New York City on October 12 and 13, 1986.

Recording engineer: David Stone

Bermuda Blues

Silver And Gold Baby, Silver And Gold

Theme From Thomas Cole

Good Times

To Be Announced

Paille Street

Those Who Eat Cookies

All titles except “Paille Street” issued on RCA Novus (LP) 3013-1-N

All titles issued on RCA Novus (CD) 3013-2-N

------------------------------------

(G) HENRY THREADGILL SEXTETT – EASILY SLIP INTO ANOTHER WORLD

Henry Threadgill, alto and tenor sax; clarinet; Rasul Siddik, trumpet; Frank Lacy, trombone, French horn, fluegelhorn; Deidre Murray, cello; Fred Hopkins, bass; Pheeroan Aklaff, Reggie Ncholson, drums, percussion.

Produced by Ed Michel

Co-produced by Diedre Murray

Recorded at Mediasound Studio, New York City on September 20, 1987.

Recording engineer: Doug Epstein

I Can’t Wait Till I Get Home

Black Hands Bejewelled

Spotted Dick Is Pudding

Let Me Look Down Your Throat or Say Ah

My Rock -1

Hall (dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams)

Award The Squadtett

-1 Aisha Putli, voice, overdubbed on September 21, 1987

All titles except “Let Me Look…”” issued on RCA Novus (LP) 3025-1-N

All titles issued on RCA Novus (CD) 3025-2-N

-------------------------------------

(H) HENRY THREADGILL SEXTETT – RAG, BUSH AND ALL

Henry Threadgill, alto sax; bass flute; Ted Daniel, trumpet, fluegelhorn; Bill Lowe, bass trombone; Deidre Murray, cello; Fred Hopkins, bass; Newman Baker, Reggie Nicholson, percussion.

Produced by David Stone

Co-produced by Diedre Murray

Recorded at Clinton Recording Studios, New York City in December 1988

Recording and remix engineer: David Stone

Off The Rag

The Devil Is On The Loose And Dancin’ With a Monkey

Gift

Sweet Holy Rag

All titles issued on RCA Novus (CD) 3025-2-N

--------------------------

(I) HENRY THREADGILL – CARRY THE DAY

Henry Threadgill, alto sax, flute, bass flute; Mark Taylor, French horn; Brandon Ross, electric and soprano guitars; Masujaa, electric guitar; Edwin Rodriguez, Marcus Rojas, tubas; Gene Lake, drums.

Produced by Bill Laswell and Henry Threadgill

Recorded at The Power Station, New York City in 1994

Recording engineer: Oz Fritz

Come Carry The Day -1

Growing A Big Banana

Vivjanrondirkski -1,2

Between Orchids Lillies Blind Eyes and Cricket

Hyla Crucifer…Silence Of -1,3

Jenkins Boys Again, Wish Somebody Die, It’s Hot

-1 add Wu Man, pipa; Tony Cedras, accordion; Jason Hwang, violin; Johnny Rudas, percussion, vocals.

-2 add Sentienla Toy, vocal

-3 add Sentiena Toy, Mossa Bildner, vocals.

All titles issued on Columbia (CD) CK 66995

-------------------------------------

(J) HENRY THREADGILL – MAKIN’ A MOVE

Produced by Bill Laswell and Henry Threadgill

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York City in June 1995

Recording engineer: Bob Musso

Henry Threadgill, alto sax; Mark Taylor, French horn; Brandon Ross, Ed Cherry, electric guitars; Edwin Rodriguez, Marcus Rojas, tubas; Pheeroan Aklaff, drums.

Like It Feels

Official Silence

Make Hot And Give

Dirty In The Right Places

Myra Melford, piano; Brandon Ross, nylon string soprano guitar; James Emery, steel string soprano guitar; Ed Cherry, steel string acoustic guitar; Ayodele Aubert, classical guitar.

Noisy Flowers

Henry Threadgill, alto sax; Michelle Kinney, Deidre Murray, Akua Dixon, cellos

Refined Poverty

Brandon Ross, nylon string soprano guitar; James Emery, steel string soprano guitar; Ed Cherry, steel string acoustic guitar; Ayodele Aubert, classical guitar; Michelle Kinney, Deidre Murray, Akua Dixon Turre, cellos

The Mockingbird Sin

All titles issued on Columbia (CD) CK 67214

-----------------------------

(K) HENRY THREADGILL & MAKE A MOVE – WHERE’S YOUR CUP?

Henry Threadgill, alto sax, flute; Brandon Ross, electric and classical guitars; Tony Cedras, accordion, harmonium; Stomu Takeshi, 5-string fretless bass; J. T. Lewis, drums.

Produced by Bill Laswell and Henry Threadgill

Recorded at East Side Sound, New York City in August 1996

Recording engineer: Bob Musso

100 Year Old Game

Laughing Club

Where’s Your Cup?

And This

Feel’s Like It

The Flew

Go To Far

All titles issued on Columbia (CD) CK 67617

------------------------------------------------

Original sessions produced by Michael Cuscuna (A-E), Ed Michel (F & G), David Stone & Deirdre Murray (H), Bill Laswell & Henry Threadgill (I-K).

Executive producer: Steve Backer (A-H).

Recording engineer: David Baker (A, C-E), Marlin Pearson (B), David Stone (F, H), Doug Epstein (G), Oz Fritz (I) and Bob Musso (J, K)

Session D remixed by Elvin Campbell. Session E remixed by Mark Wilder,

Produced for release by: Michael Cuscuna

Tape transfers & mastering: Mark Wilder

Design direction: Richard Mantel

Design production: InkWell, Inc.

Special thanks to Henry Threadgill, Steve Backer and Mike Panico

This compilation (p) 2010 SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT /Manufactured by SONY

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-3211/WARNING

All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.

© 2010 Mosaic Records L.L.C., 425 Fairfield Avenue, suite 421, Stamford, CT 06902. All rights reserved.

Phone: 203-327-7111/Fax 203-323-3526/ Website: www.mosaicrecords.com.

PRODUCER’S NOTE

An unflappable, cool, gentle, creative, unique individual with a twinkle in his eye,  a taste for the surreal and a wry, dry wit.  That’s Henry Threadgill in a sentence. If I tried to elaborate, one sentence would quickly turn into two hundred. It is a delight and an honor to reissue Henry’s major label recordings for Arista, RCA and Columbia, spanning 18 years. It is also an unintentional career overview from his arrival in New York with the co-operative trio Air through his Sextett and finally Make A Move stopping just short of the creation of his current band Zooid.

The first chapter of this set took place at the emerging Arista Records, which Clive Davis was on the fast track to build into a major label. Though hardly a fan himself, he knew that jazz was an important component to a complete label and cut a deal with Steve Backer to build a jazz roster. Steve’s initial success with the Brecker Brothers bought him enough rope to hang himself three times over, signing great cutting-edge artists. But his initial “serious” signing Anthony Braxton actually proved profitable to the amazement of all, especially me. So Steve took it one step further, convincing Clive to let him start a new label called Novus to which he signed Air, Muhal Richard Abrams, Oliver Lake, Threadgill and others.

When the record business hit the skids in the early ‘80s, the fun was over at Arista. Steve eventually landed at RCA where he resurrected the Novus name and signed Henry’s seven-man Sextett among other artists. Chapter three begins in the mid ‘90s when artist/producer Bill Laswell brought Henry to Columbia where he recorded three ambitious and remarkable albums

With all of this material now under the ownership of Sony Music, it just became too irresistible a project to ignore. And besides, it gives me an opportunity to dig out the unissued material from Henry’s X-75 project. - Michael Cuscuna