Don Cherry, "mu" first part/"mu" second part (side C)

This strange Japanese double-LP combines the two more common French "mu" LPs from 1969 into a gatefold.  As is typical of Japanese jazz releases, the mastering and pressing quality is fantastic—it even masks some of the limitations of these recordings.  Over four sides, Cherry and Blackwell display the range of their playing, nearly all of it fantastic (though piano may not have been Cherry's greatest strength).  It ranges from full-blare energy jazz, similar to their work with Ornette, to more introspective and percussion-heavy pieces that remind me of Pharoah Sanders.  Blackwell can powerfully drive forward or provide a sense of texture and space where Cherry fills in colors and sustained flute.  The front and back covers of this reissue both feature images of Cherry, though Blackwell is clearly an equal partner in this duo.