Following a rapturously received gig in January 2020 with Ben Street, David Virelles, and Bill Frisell, legendary jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille (Cecil Taylor, Trio 3, David Murray) intended to return that April with saxophonist Billy Harper, a Houston native and University of North Texas graduate who’s played with Gil Evans, Randy Weston, Louis Armstrong, and supergroup the Cookers. The pandemic canceled that show, but Epistrophy Arts resurrects it at one of Austin’s oldest stages: Scottish Rite Theater (built in 1871).: Cyrille and Harper became acquainted at New York City’s prestigious New School, where both teach. “Cecil Bridgewater, who teaches also, wanted to do one of those Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln projects,” explains Cyrille from Brooklyn. “He got Billy and Reggie Workman, who’d both worked with Max, and a singer named Brianna, so I had the opportunity to play with Billy.” The pair’s chemistry led to Texas gigs. “I called David Dove in Houston. Then David put me in touch with Pedro Moreno from Austin. We’re gonna do something a little different in both cities as a saxophone/drum duo.”: Cyrille dismisses any perception that he represents the avant-garde and Harper the mainstream. “When people talk about avant-garde, it just means that you do the traditional things in a different way,” says Cyrille. “You still might be relating to the tradition in terms of the grand line, so to speak. The main thing is to be able to communicate and play with each other."