ALBERT AYLER - Live in Greenwich Village : The Complete Impulse Recordings (1998) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Live in Greenwich Village was Albert Ayler's first recording for Impulse, and is arguably his finest moment, not only for the label, but ever. This double-CD reissue combines both of the Village concerts -- documented only partially on previously released LPs -- recorded in 1965 and 1966 with two very different groups. The Village gigs reveal the mature Ayler whose music embodied bold contradictions: There are the sweet, childlike, singalong melodies contrasted with violent screaming peals of emotion, contrasted with the gospel and R&B shouts of jubilation, all moving into and through one another. On the 1965 date, which featured Ayler, his brother Donald on trumpet, Joel Freedman on cello, bassist Lewis Worrell, and the great Sunny Murray on drums, the sound is one of great urgency. Opening with "Holy Ghost," the Aylers come out stomping and Murray double times them to bring the bass and cello to ground level in order to anchor musical proceedings to their respective generated sounds. "Truth Is Marching In" casts a bleating, gospelized swirl against a backdrop of three- and four-note "sung" phrases that are constantly repeated, à la a carny band before kicking down all the doors and letting it rip for almost 13 minutes. On the 1967 date of the second disc, the Aylers are augmented with drummer Beaver Harris, violinist Michel Sampson, Bill Folwell and Alan Silva on basses, and trombonist George Steele on the closer, "Universal Thoughts." "For John Coltrane" opens the set with a sweltering abstraction of tonalities in the strings and horns. On "Change Has Come," the abstraction remains but the field of language is deeper, denser, more urgent. Only with "Spiritual Rebirth," which opens with a four-note theme, does one get the feeling that the band has been pacing itself for this moment, and that the concert has become an actual treatise on the emotion of "singing" as an ensemble in uncharted territories. Throughout the rest of the set, Ayler's band buoys him perfectly, following him up through every new cloud of unknowing into a sublime musical and emotional beyond which, at least on recordings, would never be realized again. This recording is what all the fuss is about when it comes to Ayler.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist 1 :
1     Holy Ghost 7'41
Albert Ayler
2     The Truth Is Marching In 12'42
Albert Ayler
3     Our Prayer 4'45
Donald Ayler
4     Spirits Rejoice 16'22
Albert Ayler
5     Divine Peacemaker 12'37
Albert Ayler
6     Angels 9'53
Albert Ayler
Tracklist 2 :
1     For John Coltrane 13'40
Albert Ayler
2     Change Has Come 6'24
Albert Ayler
3    Light in Darkness 10'59
Albert Ayler
4     Heavenly Home 8'51
Albert Ayler
5     Spiritual Rebirth 4'26
Albert Ayler
6     Infinite Spirit 6'37
Albert Ayler
7     Omega Is the Alpha 10'46
Albert Ayler
8     Universal Thoughts 8'22
Albert Ayler
Credits :    
Bass – Alan Silva (tracks: 2-1 to 2-8), Bill Folwell (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5, 2-1 to 2-8), Henry Grimes (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5)
Cello – Joel Freedman (tracks: 1-1, 2-1 to 2-8)
Drums – Beaver Harris (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5, 2-2 to 2-8)
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Albert Ayler
Trumpet – Don Ayler (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5, 2-2 to 2-8)
Violin – Michel Sampson (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5, 2-1 to 2-8)

ALBERT AYLER - Love Cry (1968-1991) RM | GRP Presents The Legendary Masters Of Jazz | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

From the time he was signed to Impulse in 1966, it was assumed that Albert Ayler's releases on that label would be motivated by an attempt at commercialism. While the music was toned down from his earlier ESP recordings, by no means did Ayler ever make commercial records. Much in the same way John Coltrane's later-period Impulse releases weren't commercial, Ayler simply took advantage of a larger record company's distribution, trying to expose the music to more people. Ayler's uncompromising musical freedom mixed with his catchy combination of nursery rhythms and brass band marches remained prominent on Love Cry. The interplay between the Ayler brothers also remained fiery as younger sibling Donald is heard playing trumpet for the last time on a recording with his brother. Donald was fired from the band (at the suggestion of Impulse) and, unfortunately, was committed to a mental institution for a short stay after these sessions were made. The rhythm section of Alan Silva on bass and Milford Graves on drums continually instigates and propels this music into furious militaristic march territory. Unhappily, the four tracks in which Call Cobbs is featured on harpsichord tend to drag the music down; it's unfortunate his gospel-inspired piano or organ playing couldn't have been utilized instead. Al Campbell  
Tracklist :
1     Love Cry 3'55
Albert Ayler
2     Ghosts 2'49
Albert Ayler
3     Omega 3'19
Albert Ayler
4     Dancing Flowers 2'24
Albert Ayler
5     Bells 3'09
Albert Ayler
6     Love Flower 3'32
Albert Ayler
7     Love Cry II (Previously Unissued) 7'15
Albert Ayler
8     Zion Hill (Alternate Take) 4'14
Albert Ayler
9     Universal Indians (Alternate Take) 7'36
Albert Ayler
10     Zion Hill 6'08
Albert Ayler
11     Universal Indians (Previously Unissued Full Length Version) 9'50
Albert Ayler
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Albert Ayler (pistas: 1, 10)
Bass – Alan Silva
Drums – Milford Graves
Harpsichord – Call Cobbs (pistas: 3, 4, 6, 8, 10)
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Ayler
Trumpet – Donald Ayler (pistas: 1 to 3, 5, 7, 9, 11)
Vocals – Albert Ayler (pistas: 1, 9, 11)

ALBERT AYLER - In Greenwich Village (1967-1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During 1967-69 avant-garde innovator Albert Ayler recorded a series of albums for Impulse that started on a high level and gradually declined in quality. This LP, Ayler's first Impulse set, was probably his best for that label. There are two selections apiece from a pair of live appearances with Ayler having a rare outing on alto on the emotional "For John Coltrane" and the more violent "Change Has Come" while backed by cellist Joel Friedman, both Alan Silva and Bill Folwell on basses and drummer Beaver Harris. The other set (with trumpeter Donald Ayler, violinist Michel Sampson, Folwell and Henry Grimes on basses and Harris) has a strong contrast between the simple childlike melodies and the intense solos. However this LP (which was augmented later on by the two-LP set The Village Concerts) will be difficult to find. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     For John Coltrane 13'38
Albert Ayler
2     Change Has Come 6'24
Albert Ayler
3     Truth Is Marching In 12'43
Albert Ayler
4     Our Prayer 4'43
Donald Ayler
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Albert Ayler (tracks: 1)
Bass – Alan Silva (tracks: 1, 2), Bill Folwell, Henry Grimes (tracks: 3, 4)
Cello – Joel Friedman (tracks: 1, 2)
Drums – Beaver Harris
Producer – Bob Thiele
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Ayler (tracks: 2 to 4)
Trumpet – Donald Ayler (tracks: 3, 4)
 Violin – Michel Sampson (tracks: 3, 4)

ARCHIE SHEPP - Poem for Malcolm (1969-2004) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This LP from the English Affinity LP is a mixed bag. Best is "Rain Forrest" on which tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, in a collaboration with trombonist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Vince Benedetti, bassist Malachi Favors, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, perform some stirring free jazz; the interplay between Shepp and Jones is particularly exciting. On a four-and-a-half minute "Oleo," Shepp "battles" some bebop with fellow tenor Hank Mobley, but the other two tracks, a workout for the leader's erratic soprano on "Mamarose," and his emotional recitation on "Poem for Malcolm," are much less interesting, making this a less than essential release despite "Rain Forrest." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Mama Rose/Poem for Malcolm 13'13
(Archie Shepp)
Bass – Malachi Favors
Drums – Philly Joe Jones
Piano [Oleo] – Vince Benedetti
Tenor Saxophone [Oleo] – Hank Mobley
Tenor Saxophone, Piano, Written-By [Rain Forest] – Archie Shepp
Trombone [Oleo] – Grachan Moncur III
2     Rain Forrest/Oleo 19'21
(Miles Davis / Archie Shepp)
Bass – Alan Silva
Drums – Philly Joe Jones, Claude Delcloo
Piano – Burton Greene
Soprano Saxophone, Voice [Recitation] – Archie Shepp

CECIL TAYLOR - Conquistador! (1966-1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For the second of Cecil Taylor's two Blue Note albums (following Unit Structures), the innovative pianist utilized a sextet comprised of trumpeter Bill Dixon, altoist Jimmy Lyons, both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on basses and drummer Andrew Cyrille. During the two lengthy pieces, Lyons' passionate solos contrast with Dixon's quieter ruminations while the music in general is unremittingly intense. Both of the Taylor Blue Notes are quite historic and near-classics but, despite this important documentation, Cecil Taylor (other than a pair of Paris concerts) would not appear on records again until 1973. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Conquistador 17:55
Cecil Taylor
2     With (Exit) 19:22
Cecil Taylor
3     With (Exit) 17:23
Cecil Taylor
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jimmy Lyons
Bass – Alan Silva, Henry Grimes
Drums – Andrew Cyrille
Piano, Written-By – Cecil Taylor
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Bill Dixon

CECIL TAYLOR - Unit Structures (1966-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 After several years off records, pianist Cecil Taylor finally had an opportunity to document his music of the mid-'60s on two Blue Note albums (the other one was Conquistador). Taylor's high-energy atonalism fit in well with the free jazz of the period but he was actually leading the way rather than being part of a movement. In fact, this septet outing with trumpeter Eddie Gale, altoist Jimmy Lyons, Ken McIntyre (alternating between alto, oboe and bass clarinet), both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on basses, and drummer Andrew Cyrille is quite stunning and very intense. In fact, it could be safely argued that no jazz music of the era approached the ferocity and intensity of Cecil Taylor's.  by Scott Yanow
Tracklist
1 - Steps 10:18
Cecil Taylor
2 - Enter, Evening (Soft Line Structure) 11:05
Cecil Taylor
3 - Unit Structure / As Of A Now / Section 17:45
Cecil Taylor
4 - Tales (8 Whisps) 7:43
Cecil Taylor
Credits
Alto Saxophone - Jimmy Lyons
Alto Saxophone, Oboe, Bass Clarinet - Ken McIntyre
Bass - Alan Silva, Henry Grimes
Drums - Andrew Cyrille
Piano, Bells, Written-By, Liner Notes - Cecil Taylor
Trumpet - Eddie Gale Stevens Jr.

CECIL TAYLOR - It is in the Brewing Luminous (1980-1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Originally released as a double-LP and then reissued as a single CD, this continuous 71-minute live performance from 1980 features pianist Cecil Taylor with a particularly intriguing sextet comprised of his longtime altoist Jimmy Lyons, violinist Ramsey Ameen, Alan Silva on bass and cello and both Jerome Cooper and Sunny Murray on drums. Not too surprisingly, the playing is quite intense and dense with only a few moments of lyricism popping through. Taylor sounds very much like a human dynamo while Lyons' solos are full of fragile beauty. This is brilliant music that will not sound "safe" or "easy listening" even a century from now. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     It Is in the Brewing Luminous 1 09:59
Cecil Taylor
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jimmy Lyons
Bass, Cello – Alan Silva
Drums – Sunny Murray
Drums, Balafon [African Balaphone] – Jerome Cooper
Piano – Cecil Taylor
Violin – Ramsey Ameen

ALAN SILVA AND THE CELESTRIAL COMUNICATION ORCHESTRA - Seasons (1970-2002) 2CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Don't let the miserable packaging of the reissue on CD deter you from purchasing this remarkable gargantuan effort by bassist and composer Alan Silva, for which the term "masterpiece" is not too far a stretch. The original three-LP set has been compacted to two full-length CDs. Unfortunately, there are no liner notes, and you may need a magnifying glass to decipher the list of more than 20 participating musicians, who read like a who's who of avant-garde jazz at the time this was recorded. As there are no individual tracks and the "composition" is more than two hours long, there is also reproduced from the LP a detailed time log listing the instruments at any particular moment. Unfortunately, the log is virtually useless as it corresponds to the six sides of the original LPs. That aside, this is a magnificent, rambling, chaotic, lavish, and often meandering spectacle that should be heard in one sitting to be completely appreciated. It takes the concept of "sheets of sound" to the next level. Even with its deficiencies, it is a spectacular presentation, with snippets of melodies (or more precisely, riffs) interspersed among the soloists, who include Silva, Steve Lacy, Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Robin Kenyatta, Michel Portal, and Joachim Kühn, to cite the more recognizable names. The results are absolutely thrilling, if not always inspiring, and there are many high points. While individual improvisers are difficult to identify, the level of improvisation remains consistently at the highest levels. It is wild and free, and the listener receptive to free improvisation is likely to be held in rapturous attention. Destined to be a classic of its genre, Seasons offers a full-scale radical bombardment from many perspectives, resulting in a smorgasbord of delights. While listening to so much at once is a challenge, the patient listener willing to put in the effort should be fulfilled and rewarded amply.  by Steve Loewy 
Track Listing - Disc 1
1     Seasons    1:10:38
Alan Silva
Track Listing - Disc 2
1     Seasons (Continued)    1:12:50  
Alan Silva
Credits
    Alto Saxophone, Clarinet [Clarinets] – Michel Portal
    Alto Saxophone, Flute – Robin Kenyatta
    Cello – Kent Carter
    Cello, Celesta – Irene Aebi
    Drums, Percussion – Don Move
    Drums, Percussion, Performer [Bronte] – Jerome Cooper
        Leader, Bass, Violin [Electric], Sarangi [Electric], Performer [Arc, Ressort (Bow & Spring], Instruments [Two French Electroacoustic Intruments], Composed By, Arranged By – Alan Silva
    Piano – Dave Burrell, Joachim Kuhn
    Saxophone [Saxophones], Flute [Flutes], Oboe – Roscoe Mitchell
    Saxophone [Saxophones], Flute, Bassoon – Joseph Jarman
    Soprano Saxophone – Steve Lacy
    Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Ronnie Beer
    Timpani, Percussion – Oliver Johnson
    Trumpet – Alan Shorter
    Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Lester Bowie
    Trumpet, French Horn – Bernard Vitet
    Viola [Electric] – Jouk Minor
    Violin [Electric] – Dieter Gewissler