The Creative 
Music Studio is actually an umbrella for efforts largely spearheaded initially by Karl Berger and Ornette Coleman, to pool contemporary jazz players from across the spectrum and test the bounds of improvisiation. And while I have never heard the first volume from their 1981 Woodstock performances, I do own volume 2. It is quite potent in spots.
While the Woodstock Jazz Festival that year actually had an extensve lineup, this disc only showcases a core quartet of Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitous, Anthony Braxton,and Jack DeJohnette. This group opens the set with a near-thirteen minute push through Trane’s Impressions. And its impressive. While they really play hard and push solos in wild directions, the earthiness and the linearity of its statement is intact.
I was floored at how grounded Anthony Braxton is on alto sax here, as I am accustomed to his way more out playing and composing (the picture here is of him playing a bass saxophone — something I have never seen someone else do…and even here one wonders why one would, as it looks like a marital aid for the wife of Godzilla). I also was glad to hear Corea in good form, resembling some of the work he did with Joe Farrell and his later tenure with Miles. This appears to be near the tail-end of his creative peak, as from the mid 1980s onward, he became a lightweight, effette version of himself, dedicated to sparking the careers of faceless automatons like John Patitucci and Eric Marienthal, as well as spending more time being noted for his promotion of Scientology than he does composing and recording something worth listening to.
Next up is No Greater Love, and Lee Konitz is brought in on second alto. The result is a blues taken into some odd corners, with Braxton playing up in the register and Konitz a step down. They stumble and dance around each other in sprints and fits, but the result is not unpleasant, just unpredictable. Sometimes it sounds like a two man abstract Dixieland dynamic.
The last track is a 23 minute jam of another staple, All Blues. This time, they add guitarist Pat Metheny (a virulent critic of sound-moron Kenny G, holding opinions I fundamentally agree with) to the lineup. This is my favorite cut, as Metheny sounds aggressive but still with that crystalline clarity of tone. DeJohnette is pushing some major weight around, and his fire is what propels this for its length with ease with Braxton takes some really jabbing bursts here too. You can pick his sound out easily, and it really stands out against the more conventional, but very lyrical Konitz.
This is a one of a kind lineup, that seems to have come together for this one gig. It was released on compact disc in recent years by the Knitting Factory under its Knit Classics imprint. It is worth taking a peek into.