It"s hard not to think of how much more enjoyable this tribute to the late, great Lester Bowie would be if he were still around to play trumpet on it. Reduced to a trio by the passing of Bowie in 1999 and the resignation of reed player Joseph Jarman, who left to devote himself to his duties as a Shinsu Buddhist priest and to indulge in other musical pursuits, the Art Ensemble of Chicago lacks the exuberance it once did. That"s partly because there"s not enough to offset the basic dryness of reedman Roscoe Mitchell"s personality, as reflected in the deliberate "Suite for Lester," which takes an all-too-tasteful classical turn. Still, the band"s return to ECM, for which it made some excellent albums at the turn of the "80s, occasions some winning sonic excursions by Mitchell, bassist Malachi Favors Moghostut, and drummer Famoudou Don Moye. And give credit to the Art Ensemble for refusing to do what other bands have after a legend departs, which is to try and replace someone who is irreplaceable. --Lloyd Sachs