One of the most original-sounding bands in jazz, The Art Ensemble of Chicago mixed the style with earlier African folk and ran it through the prism of an avant-garde mindset, tribal drumming, and guerilla theater. The music on this 1979 album ebbs and flows from piece to piece, whether it’s deconstructing bebop or vamping on reggae. The longer works are particularly revelatory, with the mystical “Folkus” and powerful “597-59” highlights of the band’s studio output.