A.R. Penck: Run With the Cowboys

A.R. Penck is much better known as a visual artist than as a musician, but in the '80s he played drums with some of the best free jazz players around (Frank Lowe, Butch Morris, Peter Kowald, William Parker, Louis Moholo), and released a whole bunch of private press LPs, under the name T.T.T. featuring A.R. Penck and/or attributed to saxophonist Frank Wright. I've been planning a Penck post for some time, but both the LPs and info are pretty elusive and it just never happened.  I was introduced to Penck through a few posts on the dearly departed Church Number Nine blog.  Thankfully, Inconstant Sol has picked up the slack and has been posting a series of Penck LPs (more love for IS, second week in a row!), and all are worth hearing.  At first Frank Wright and A.R. Penck seem an unlikely pairing, but Penck's stilted amateurish but enthusiastic chops are just the thing that makes this stuff interesting (to me at least).  And, if you like post-Ayler head ripping free jazz, and I know you do, then Reverend Frank Wright is your man.  And thankfully, the Rev left a trail of worthy LPs so once you're hooked, there's a lot to absorb.  Be sure to check out the lovingly compiled Penck discog by Rick Lopez (with links to purchase certain CDs/LPs).