“... [Joe Mcphee's] magical take on avant-garde sax remains one of the wonders of the scene. He still has one of the most beautiful tones on the planet, even when he’s reaching for jazz’s outer limits.” – Time Out New York

Joe McPhee is a deeply emotional composer, improviser, and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a thoughtful conceptualist and theoretician. McPhee’s first recordings as leader appeared on the CjR label, founded in 1969 by painter Craig Johnson, including the landmark Nation Time in 1970. He also had a long association with the Swiss label Hat Hut — which started in order to release McPhee's music — and his solo playing and various transatlantic collaborations over the last decades has included both wildly joyous experimentation (including early usage of tape and electronics/ duos with synthesizer player Jon Snyder) and deep, re-imaginings of the jazz tradition.