One of the founding fathers of Dutch avant-garde jazz, pianist Misha Mengelberg consistently aligned himself to iconoclastic and provocative artists of the 20th century. From his association with the Fluxus movement in the early '60s, to his appearance on Eric Dolphy's Last Date, to his co-founding of the Instant Composers Pool, an organization that promoted Dutch avant-garde jazz, Mengelberg was a tireless proponent of creative improvisation and composition. Together with his longstanding ICP collaborator Han Bennink, he recorded a series of three albums -- two with a small group that featured Steve Lacy, and one with the ICP Orchestra -- that paid tribute to unsung pianist Herbie Nichols. An almost militant improviser, Mengelberg took a deliberate stance against the jazz world's obsession with personal style and touch. In the '90s into the 21st century, the ICP Orchestra was the main outlet for his writing, but he also featured in exemplary small-group dates. ~ Dave Shim