Air was a free jazz trio founded by saxophone player Henry Threadgill, double bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Steve McCall in 1971.
Career Threadgill was asked by Columbia College in Chicago to arrange a number of Scott Joplin songs. Joplin was so strongly associated with piano that the musicians enjoyed the challenge of performing his trademark songs without piano. They opted to play them as rags and as a basis for jazz improvization.
The album Air Lore contains improvizations over songs by Scott Joplin as well as selections by Jelly Roll Morton.
Air broke up and reformed several times, and after McCall's death, Andrew Cyrille performed as part of the trio. They released two albums with drummer Pheeroan Aklaff as New Air on Black Saint Records.
Discography Album Label Year of release Year Recorded Air Song Why Not 1975 1975 Air Raid Why Not 1976 1976 Wildflowers 1: The New York Loft Jazz Sessions Douglas 1977 1976 Open Air Suit Arista Novus 1978 1978 Montreux Suisse Arista Novus 1978 1978 Air Time Nessa 1978 1977 Air Lore Arista Novus 1979 1979 Live Air Black Saint 1980 1976 & 1977 Air Mail Black Saint 1981 1980 80° Below '82 Antilles 1982 1982 (As New Air) Live at Montreal International Jazz Festival Black Saint 1984 1983 (As New Air) Air Show No. 1 Black Saint 1986 1986
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