This 4lp box set collects together recordings made during Albert Ayler's European Tour in November 1966, this is four shows over 10 days in Berlin, Lorrach, Stockholm and Paris. The only part of this set I already own was the show from Lorrach Germany that came out on an Italian label Jazz galore on an album called Jesus in 1981 with the tapes sourced from Don Ayler.
The first album was recorded Live in Berlin 3rd November 1966, it opens with Michael Sampson's strings with Albert and Don Ayler's Tenor Sax and Trumpet intro to Truth Is Marching In that really feels like they are gently leading you into the bands wonderfully out their vision that becomes more cacophonous and intense before returning to the central theme.
Omega Is The Alpha is clearly based around a classical figure that they expand on and work around into a new expression, slowly evolving like heralds calling for the angels.
The B-side opens with Our Prayer-The Truth Is Marching In that returns them to the earlier theme only this time the intro is slower and more deliberate with Don's trumpet more to the fore as Bill Folwell's bass keeps a gentle undertow beneath everything else as finally Albert has his first total freak out free jazz explosion with screeds of notes flying at you as Beaver Harris seems to remain in total control on the drums.
Ghosts-Bells re-works yet again Albert's favorite Ghosts theme that recurs through Spiritual Unity, Love Cry and New Grass among other places melding it with Bells from Love Cry to delightful effect sounding like medieval free jazz, both themes are easily recognizable yet woven into something new again by the masterful playing and interplay within the band.
The second disc opens by reversing the sides of the Italian lp of the same concert, I'm afraid I don't know which way round is the correct concert order, so this version opens with Bells played with gentle majesty to begin with before it opens out as the theme develops and Don Ayler seems to come front and centre for a bit as Albert works around the theme before allowing Michael Sampson to come to the fore with some truly far out violin solo then back round to the theme once more and screeds of noise. Towards the end Bill Folwell's bass seems to have a battle with Michael Sampsons violin and Beaver Harris explores his cymbals.
This version of the album calls the next track Prophet and the 1981 version calls it Jesus, it's super frantic as mad as it gets free outer space jazz and as the 1981 liner notes puts it "JESUS NOW far far away from the heart of the wind EXPIRES the city, enormous, absurd, terrible: ALBERT'S SONG" which sums up nicely the sort of transcendent space this music is aiming for with super pre prog drum extravaganza, screeching horns, tonal insanity.
Having flipped to the b-side it opens with Our Prayer Spirits Rejoice that feels like a slow meditative prayer piece as the violin lifts those spirits up the trumpet is thoughtful and melodramatic as can be, the calm being destroyed by Alberts sax assaults that come in and out occasionally. In the mid passage they sound the reveille to wake everyone up before they just stretch out becoming more contemplative.
The version of Ghosts at Lorrach is short and sweet and the 1981 album claims this is Our Prayer before closing with Truth Is Marching in that the 1981 album calls Holy Ghosts, ah the fun of naming instrumental pieces, really just the themes the band work around and change and improvise within and without as this slowly evolves out of its intrinsic theme over 11 minutes through mad flights of fantasy the core theme remains to come back to over and over again.
The Third album is from Stockholm on November 7th 1966 and opens with Truth Is Marching In Again this version is rather fluid and as ever goes around the theme a good bit with more of the reveille before Albert's sax goes totally wild as can be.
Omega (Is The Alpha) feels slower and a touch more fluid than the version on Love Cry as well as sounding full of regret, at least for the first 3 minutes or so, but they stretch this out and go totally wild freaky free new tonality that seeks solace in the battle between bass and violin for string supremacy as twisting cascades of notes fill your ears.
Our Prayer Bells re-works the two tunes into one with a slow enigmatic intro that goes through a few phases as if you have different aspects of the service and rituals to complete.
Infinite Spirit-Japan has some Japanese textures being worked in under the cacophony, mainly it seems that Michael Sampson oversees the Japanese elements.
The fourth album is from the Paris Jazz festival 13th November 1966 and opens with Ghosts almost fading in as they find those familiar themes to start working, weaving magic, against around under the melody, still beyond the realms, till the violin led centre of calm is interrupted by the drumming sax madness.
The B-side of the fourth album opens rather jauntily at the beginning of Spiritual Rebirth-Light In Darkness-Infinite Spirit that soon goes off at several musical tangents at once, reforming and mutating again going slow and thoughtful, jaunty and carefree, slowly sepulchral, twisting minds as they twist notes tunes themes and music.
The box set and this show closes with All-Our Prayer- Holy family the only tune on the entire box set with any vocals on it, they are more calls and hollers than any actual words as the violin stretches out to prepare the band for one last final climactic restructuring of our musical senses.
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