Some "essentials" by musicians not in the book: Bill Dixon, Intents and purposes. Lowell Davidson, id. Muhal Richards Abrams, Levels and degrees of light. Joseph Jarman, Song for. John Carter - Bobby Bradford, Seeking. Gracham Moncur III, New Africa. Jacques Coursil, Black suite. Arthur Jones, Scorpio. Amalgam, Prayer for peace. Dave Holland, Conference of the birds. Baikida Carroll, Orange fish tears. Sam Rivers, The quest. Leo Smith, Divine love. Bobby Naughton, The haunt. Henry Threadgill, X-75 vol. 1.

I guess I have to splurge for the Milestone years CD box set if I ever want to hear these albums. Sleeve artwork is cool, so I'll miss out on that. 

Snow Day Music

I was in a house band at a club called La Roca. The band was called La Roca's Tropicale and we played the type of musics you're describing. There were seemingly innumerable stocks of all kinds of things I had never heard before, meaning that it had been popular for a while. I'd certainly not use this to prove a point, just saying that it's certainly not an uncommon vernacular term.