Don Cherry & Ed Blackwell – El Corazón ECM 1230 (1982)
In some ways, El Corazón is a continuation of Cherry’s “mu” First Part and “mu” Second Part from the late 1960s. Yet a lot had changed in the meantime. The duo of Cherry and Blackwell are certainly more contemplative and restive here. This album also features some of the trademark ECM Records chamber jazz sound. The album remains eclectic. There is a tribute to The Skatalites‘s sax man Roland Alphonso, a Thelonious Monk song, and various world music influences on display. Perhaps the best offering is the wonderful percussion-heavy piece “Near-in.”