In 1989 The Montreal Jazz Festival presented eight consecutive nights of Charlie Haden and his music, each concert featuring the bassist in a different setting. The third night's performance begins with Haden saying, "I'm in heaven every night," and then introducing Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell.

The three musicians worked with Ornette Coleman in his groundbreaking quartet from the late '50s into the '60s, and with the exception of two numbers by Cherry, the pieces heard here are all written by their former leader. The trio continued to work together in the '70s and '80s as Old & New Dreams (with Dewey Redman on saxophone), exploring Coleman's material with the same vibrancy heard on this night. The concert is superbly recorded, affording it all the sonic warmth of a studio recording, with the added edge of musicians, clearly delighted to be together, performing to a rapt audience.