Air was a free jazz trio founded by saxophone player Henry Threadgill, double bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Steve McCall in 1971.[1] [2]
Threadgill was asked by Columbia College in Chicago to arrange a number of Scott Joplin songs. Joplin was so strongly associated with piano that the musicians enjoyed the challenge of performing his trademark songs without piano. They opted to play them as rags and as a basis for jazz improvization.
The album Air Lore contains improvizations over songs by Scott Joplin as well as selections by Jelly Roll Morton.[3]
Air broke up and reformed several times, and after McCall's death, Andrew Cyrille performed as part of the trio. They released two albums with drummer Pheeroan Aklaff as New Air on Black Saint Records.[4]
| Album | Label | Year of release | Year Recorded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Song | 1975 | 1975 | ||
| Air Raid | Why Not | 1976 | 1976 | |
| Douglas | 1977 | 1976 | ||
| Open Air Suit | Arista Novus | 1978 | 1978 | |
| Montreux Suisse | Arista Novus | 1978 | 1978 | |
| Air Time | 1978 | 1977 | ||
| Air Lore | Arista Novus | 1979 | 1979 | |
| Live Air | 1980 | 1976 & 1977 | ||
| Air Mail | Black Saint | 1981 | 1980 | |
| 80° Below '82 | 1982 | 1982 | ||
| (As New Air) Live at Montreal International Jazz Festival | Black Saint | 1984 | 1983 | |
| (As New Air) Air Show No. 1 | Black Saint | 1986 | 1986 |