Audiopile Review: The Codona trio was one of the great ECM Records supergroups. Comparable to Ralph Towner’s Solstice ensemble, John Abercrombie’s Gateway group, or Towner’s duo with Abercrombie, even. But as pioneers of ethno-jazz fusion and ‘world music’ more generally, Codona was truly pioneering. Solo, Naná Vasconcelos and Collin Walcott created some of the most compelling ambient jazz albums of all time. And Don Cherry… Well, he was just Don Cherry. The trio of LPs they made between 1979 and 1983 constitute a near-perfect trilogy. Sadly, the band ended there, following Walcott’s untimely passing in ’84. Now, we finally have more, with the discovery of this early Codona live set. The moment it begins, with Walcott’s sitar echoing Cherry’s plaintive melodies, you know you’re in for a treat. By the time Vasconcelos starts exercising his master percussion skills, you’ll be on cloud nine. The world needed more Codona. But this is not worldly music, let alone world music. This is pure heaven.

The magical encounter of three skillful players, right before their self-titled debut on ECM. On September 1, 1978, the musical trio Codona performed live in Willisau, Switzerland. This Swiss FM broadcast captured Codona in full flight, with Collin Walcott on sitar, Don Cherry on trumpet, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion. Their performance weaved a magical web of sound. The opening track, “New Light,” is a 16-minute journey of pure joy.