Steve Lacy, The Flame (side A)

While Steve Lacy's soprano playing evolved slowly over decades, his albums varied widely depending on collaborators. His choices in rhythm sections could either pull him too far inside or, in the other direction, overwhelm the subtleties in his playing. 1982's The Flame features an incredibly sensitive rhythm section of Dennis Charles on drums and Bobby Few on piano. Charles always matched perfectly with Lacy—1979's NY Capers is another Lacy highlight with him on drums. A bass-less rhythm section is atypical of Lacy's albums, and Few's playing fits seamlessly here. Lacy's playing through the 70s moved gradually from abstraction toward more controlled subtlety, and The Flame still includes traces of freedom and chaos that had diminished only a few years later. It's a diverse album with a Lacy solo and even Bobby Few's "Wet Spot" which spotlights piano and percussion. The recording captures the performances accurately, but the drums don't present a realistic impression of a kit and Lacy's saxophone is overly compressed. The fonts on the cover are even worse than the recording, but none of these problems diminishes this powerful example of Lacy's playing and leadership.