Search - Billy Bang Quintet featuring Frank Lowe :: Above & Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids

For more than twenty-five years, Billy Bang and Frank Lowe thrived upon a complementary yin/yang approach to musical expression. In their earliest collaborations, both men burned equally hot from opposite ends of the spectrum; Billy's violin soaring in lines of white-hot intensity; Frank`s tenor sax blazing with confrontational abandon. Over the years, each man moved closer to the other's approach, creating a perfectly symbiotic synthesis of artistry, and without diminishing the fire and energy of their shared visions. Justin Time is proud to offer their final recorded performance together, Above & Beyond: An Evening In Grand Rapids. When this music was recorded in the middle of an extended U.S. tour in 2003, neither Billy nor Frank knew that this would be their final recording together even though Frank had been battling lung cancer for some time. But if they had known, it's highly unlikely that they could have delivered a finer performance. Capturing the powerful quintet at the peak of its powers, this performance resonated deeply with both men long after the tour ended. Its release is the result of a pact that the two men made when Frank was on his deathbed in September of 2003, finally succumbing in his valiant battle. His last wish was for Billy to make sure that this music would become available to the public - a request that Billy was only too happy to accommodate.