Joe McPhee. The Willisau Concert (side A)

I'm a big fan of McPhee's 1974 contemplative and widely-respected collaboration with John Snyder, Pieces of Light.  While 1976's The Willisau Concert came only two years later, and again features Snyder, this time with drummer Makaya Ntshoko, I expected a similar chemistry.  Instead, perhaps because it was performed in front of a live audience (with a murkier recording as a result), The Willisau Concert is both less-focused and more propulsive.  Side A includes what appear to be two duets.  "Touchstone", between McPhee and Ntshoko, alternates between FMP-style call / response and a jazzier, more fluid style.  Its energy remains consistently high, even in the less overtly-propulsive sections.  "Voices", between McPhee and Snyder, includes processed voices which slowly give way to analog synth sounds.  Both pieces on side B clearly feature all three musicians.  "Bahamian Folksong" has little relation to its title — McPhee and Ntshoko follow the flow of a modular synth improvisation from Snyder.  "Harriet" returns to the call / response elements of the opening track, now in a trio format.  The Willisau Concert features excellent collaborative playing from these great musicians, but it definitely lacks the magic that makes Pieces of Light so memorable.  The packaging fits the tasteful style of a series, with messy cursive fonts standing out in the design.