Prince Lasha (1929-2008) and Sonny Simmons are two reed players who, along with others like Colrane, Coleman, and Dolphy, sought expand the vocabulary of the of the saxophone and work loose the harmonic and rhythmic structures that by the 60’s, had hardened into well defined styles.

Both came of age in the western U.S. and kept company with many of the iconoclasts of the developing free jazz movement in that region of the country.

Though neither are generally well known, both are great instrumentalists and forward thinkers whose music still sounds very contemporary.

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