At 86 American tenor saxophonist Joe McPhee still has the invention and musical ferocity to improvise at the same elevated standard — and pitch — as musicians 30 or 40 years younger than him. At the same time, as this live session for Austria's Music Unlimited festival demonstrates, his note-bending excursions harmonize rather than override the others' contributions.

Giving their all on the disc's four tracks are Austrian bass clarinetist Susanna Gartmayer, Irish bassist John Edwards and Brazilian drummer Mariá Portugal, each of whom have also recoded with the likes of Evan Parker, Christof Kurzman or Simon Nabatov.

What this means in practice is that tandem layering is often in use with saxophone snorts and flutters lining up beside bass clarinet chalumeau register lowing, bisected by the occasional string strum and pulsating drum throbs. Still the expositions remain limber and linear throughout.

The broken octave pace which permeates "Relicts", the session's extended showpiece links renal sax snorts with half-vocalized clarinet murmurs that divide into altissimo squeaks (McPhee) and descending heavy breaths (Gartmayer). Edwards' string stops and scrubs carve out a place within the evolving improvisation as do Portugal's cymbal scrapes. Following emphasized clarinet tongue slaps, McPhee's grunting counter line climaxes as he verbally recounts his long history at the festival from its beginnings.

When the tough but intersecting drones and fluttering trills, including some ululating vocalized cries arrive at the finale, McPhee's concluding recitation champions music over sampling, reminding the rapturous audience that songs come from people, not tape machines. A complete listen to Monster definitely validates his statement.