The straight horn referred to in the title of this superb album from 1961 is the soprano saxophone, and Lacy is recognized as one of the greatest to ever play the instrument, ranking alongside John Coltrane and Sidney Bechet. Because of the difficulty involved in mastering its pitch challenges, very few jazzmen concentrated on it. Lacy is widely considered the first modern musician to specialize on the instrument. Lacy had long and prolific career and a fascinating style trajectory. At sixteen he began playing Dixieland with the likes of Pee Wee Russell. In the mid 1950s he played free jazz with Cecil Taylor, and appeared with his groundbreaking quartet at the 1957 New Port Jazz Festival. He made a notable appearance on the 1959 Gil Evens, Great Jazz Standards album. Along the way, Lacy became obsessed with the music of Thelonious Monk, working with him several times including the 1963 Big Band and Quartet in Concert album, and devoted much of this lifes work to the interpretation of Monks materiel1. Louise 5:16 2. Introspection 5:20 3. Donna Lee 7:41 1. Played Twice 5:44 2. Air 6:27 3. Criss Cross 5:37

• Genre: Jazz
• Handling Note: **Please allow an additional 72 hours for this item’s shipment.**
• Internal ID: JITRE
• Released: 7/21/23
• Format: Vinyl
• Format Detail: LP 180g Vinyl, Tip On Style Jacket