A four- (later five-) piece collective founded in 1968, Art Ensemble of Chicago was a shining light of jazz's avant garde over the next several decades. Drawing on virtually the entire history of African-American music, they brought invention and wide open space to the realm of free jazz, and with a combination of social awareness and theatrical wit, they imbued their music with a wide emotional range, from anger to humor. Although the band never officially broke up, they remained quiet after founding member Lester Bowie's 1999 death, and reunited briefly in 2001 to record a tribute to him.

Listen to Art Ensemble of Chicago at Finetune.

• (2008)  Full Force
• (2005)  Certain Blacks
• (2003)  Tribute To Lester
• (2002)  Rarum VI / Selected Recordings
• (2000)  Full Force
• (2000)  Urban Bushmen
• (2000)  The Third Decade
• (1978)  Nice Guys
• (0000)  Nice Guys

• Certain Blacks "Do What They Wanna"
• Dreaming of the Master
• Ja
• One For Jarman
• Nice Guys

• Pharoah Sanders
• Arthur Blythe
• Archie Shepp
• John Coltrane
• Carla Bley
• John Zorn
• Albert Ayler
• Ornette Coleman
• Cecil Taylor
• Sam Rivers
• Eric Dolphy
• Sonny Sharrock
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk
• Andrew Hill
• Keith Jarrett
• Jack DeJohnette
• Julian Priester
• David Murray
• Steve Lacy
• Sun Ra

• miihaa
• munekata
• carograph
• pandoradead
• eddielin11
• holymonkeys1221
• BrownBear
• matrix2infinity
• burai
• frimass
• maneri
• Alfac
• Witoldo
• CamerAsian
• paulheetebrij
• MaryPSCO

• matrix2infinity on 2007-11-03 00:48:59.983:
  Modern (avant garde)technics enhance the visceral sound material which illuminates our existential and cultural roots.
• matrix2infinity on 2007-11-03 00:30:09.310:
  From the ancient to the future.