Steve Lacy & Evan Parker, Chirps (side A)

1985's Chirps captures an duo concert with these two legendary reed players.  Parker plays only soprano sax here, and he achieves a slightly brassier soprano tone than Lacy's recognizable thin and pure sound.  Side A contains one long improvisation, while side B is divided between two shorter tracks.  The concert begins with Lacy playing slowly-evolving lines in the style of his 80s solo albums, like Hocus Pocus and Only Monk, and Parker follows along.  At some point on side A, Parker introduces a harsh, distorted tone, which overloads the recording system, and Lacy follows him.  It's a palette that Lacy had rarely used for nearly a decade.  On side B, the saxists achieve a more balanced dialog, with short, interweaving lines and percussive sounds alongside some flowing, complex lines.  The recording emphasizes the thinness of the soprano sax, except in the places where the system seems to distort from the loud overblowing.  The optical illusion on the cover is funny, but has little relevance to this music, or possibly any music.