Mike Reed's People, Places & Things - Proliferation (2008)

"In one of the most ingenious recordings to come out of the Chicago avant-garde this year, drummer-visionary Reed set himself a formidable challenge: to capture the spirit of the Chicago hard-bop scene of the mid- to late-1950s. Though Reed and his People, Places & Things band revisit classic tunes by Sun Ra, Wilbur Campbell and John Jenkins, the band brilliantly reinvents them." — Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

This record is presented with thanks to the People, Places & Things that were the Chicago jazz, blues and improvised music scene from 1954-1960, especially the under-recorded and under-recognized folks that not only kept the music alive, but helped move it to new horizons. Assembled here are interpretations of tunes written by artists from or during their time in Chicago, as well as a few originals dedicated to the era. These are not literal interpretations, but rather adjusted to the feel of the modern city and its sound.