Reese and the Smooth Ones

Reese and the Smooth Ones was captured during the same revolutionary Paris session as Message to Our Folks, but stands apart as a two-part, 40-minute odyssey of unchained invention.

Arriving in Paris just days before recording, the Ensemble— Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Joseph Jarman—landed with nothing but their instruments, ideas, and a fierce determination to create. Funded by the proceeds of Bowie’s personal sacrifice, their journey from New York was a leap of faith that sparked an artistic revolution. Their Paris performances stunned audiences with a bold fusion of free jazz, spoken word, Dadaist theatre, and Afrocentric consciousness, setting a new precedent for what music could be.

This deluxe reissue celebrates a defining moment in the Art Ensemble’s legacy - raw, urgent, and uncompromising. It’s an essential document for longtime fans, collectors, and anyone interested in the outer edges of jazz, politics, and sound.