Album: Henry Threadgill, The Complete Remastered...(CamJazz)

The enigmatic Chicago-born reedsman/ composer Threadgill gets a seven-disc box-set devoted to his work for Italy's venerable Black Saint and Soul Note labels.

There's an embarrassment of riches here, from 1980s projects by his groups Air, New Air (with singer Cassandra Wilson) and Very Very Circus, to the amazing Flute Force Four, from 1995. It's not always easy listening but the range of Threadgill's experience (he's a Vietnam War vet), and a rootsy, black-consciousness feel make for a genuine voyage of discovery.