Steve Lacy with Don Cherry - Evidence [Spain Import]

Steve Lacy's Evidence pairs the great soprano saxophonist with trumpeter Don Cherry on a 1962 gem, presented as a limited 180 gram Spanish import with bonus tracks.

Lacy was one of the defining voices of the soprano saxophone, and by the early 1960s he had become a devoted interpreter of Thelonious Monk, even spending time in Monk's own band. Recorded in 1961 for the New Jazz label, this session teams him with Cherry, then turning heads alongside Ornette Coleman, plus bassist Carl Brown and drummer Billy Higgins.

Four of the six original tracks are Monk tunes, handled with affection and adventure. The title track "Evidence" jabs and darts around its angular theme, and "Let's Cool One" swings with a sly, loping grace. The other two come from the Duke Ellington songbook: "The Mystery Song" glides with an elegant, slightly eerie charm, and "Something to Live For", co-written with Billy Strayhorn, becomes a tender ballad.

With no piano in the lineup, the two horns have space to weave and spar, and Higgins keeps everything buoyant beneath them, light on his feet and always listening.

It remains a cornerstone for anyone exploring Monk's music through other hands, and a fascinating meeting of two restless, searching voices.