“Music is the healing force of the universe” intones Mary Parks on the first track of Revelations, a 5-Lp or 4-CD compilation of Albert Ayler’s July 1970 appearances at the Fondation Maeght in St. Paul-de-Vence, France. Ayler died about 4 months later, and these are his final recordings. The first two CDs plus track one on disc 3 present Ayler in a quartet setting on July 25, with Parks on vocals and soprano saxophone, Steve Tintweiss on bass, and Allen Blairman on drums. The rest of the collection offers the set the band played on July 27, with pianist Call Cobbs added to the ensemble. (Cobbs had been delayed in transit.) Some of this material has been issued in the past, by ESP-Disk and Shandar, but Revelations has been derived from superior-sounding recordings made by French Radio. Much commentary and criticism has been directed at Ayler’s music since he burst onto the scene in Scandinavia in the early 1960's, soon making his way to new York. But as producer Zev Feldman notes in his introduction to the extensive booklet that accompanies the music, “Describing this music is a challenge beyond words.” The listener will either be absorbed by the intensity and passion of Ayler’s music - or that listener will run away as quickly as possible. I’ve been excited by Ayler’s approach to sound and improvisation since I first ran across his 1964 ESP-Disk debut Spiritual Unity many decades ago. The freedom and raw power of his sound really appealed to me, and while his music is not designed for casual listening, in the right circumstances, there is nothing like spinning Witches And Devils or Vibrations with Don Cherry in the band (both 1964). Starting in 1968, Mary Parks added a new element to the Ayler cauldron with her free vocalizing and soprano saxophone playing. She’s prominent on this collection, and while her vocal style is somewhat of an acquired taste, her work with Ayler moved his music into a (slightly) more approachable dimension. Music historian and researcher Ben Young, in his essay for the booklet, writes that Parks “was [Ayler’s] companion in and out of music, sometime concert promoter, his managing agent, and eventually co-star." He goes on to note that she “had an artistic vision that she thought could benefit from Albert Ayler’s thrust. Very few from the Ayler camp look on their music this way.” Be that as it may, Ayler’s music did change after he met Mary Parks, and by the time of this weekend in France, her contributions are often front and center to the group sound. The presence of Cobbs’ churchy and calm piano stylings provides a tighter focus to the ensemble on the July 27 show, with a buoyant and confident Ayler opening the set with majestic versions of Truth is Marching In and Zion Hill (a/k/a Universal Message). It’s just the start of a truly inspired presentation of “free jazz” by a master of the era, playing to a receptive and enthusiastic audience. About three-quarters of the tunes presented at the Maeght were debuted on Ayler’s final three Impulse! albums, New Grass (1968), Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe and The Last Album (both 1969). No earlier live performances of these songs have surfaced to date. Spread over both sets are six improvisations titled Revelations, featuring consistently strong playing by Ayler and Parks on a variety of themes. The balance of the program is judiciously drawn from Ayler’s earlier compositions. Ghosts, dating from 1964 and probably his best known piece, is rapturously received in this performance, prompting an immediate reprise. The other pre-Mary Parks tunes are Holy, Holy and Spirits (both 1964), Holy Family and Spirits Rejoice (1965), Truth is Marching In (1966), Zion Hill (1966), and Love Cry (famously performed at John Coltrane’s funeral in 1967). In addition to an introduction by Zev Feldman and a history of the venue and Ayler’s appearance by Ben Young, the expertly assembled booklet includes extensive song notes by saxophonist and Ayler devotee Jeff Lederer, reminiscences by Steve Tintweiss and Allen Blairman, appreciations by Sonny Rollins, Archie Shepp, David Murray, Joe Lovano, John Zorn, Reggie Workman, Patty Waters, James Brandon Lewis, Carla Bley, Bill Laswell, Marc Ribot, Carlos Santana, and others, a wealth of photographs from the concerts, and even a picture of the tape reels. Revelations is itself a revelation, and an important addition to the legacy of Albert Ayler.
Elemental Music (Deluxe limited-edition of 180g hand-numbered 5 LP-set or 4-CD edition; Albert Ayler (ts, ss, bagpipes, vcl) Mary Parks (ss, vcl) Call Cobbs (p on July 27 only) Steve Tintweiss (b, melodica) Allen Blairman (d); Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, July 25* & July 27, 1970; *Disc 1 (43:38): Music is the Healing Force of the Universe/ Birth of Mirth/ Masonic Inborn/ Revelations 1/ Oh! Love of Life/ Island Harvest/ Heart Love; *Disc 2 (63:59): Ghosts/ Love Cry/ Desert Blood/ Revelations 2/ Revelations 3/ Revelations 4/ Speaking in Tongues. Disc 3 (71:55): *Truth is Marching In/ Zion Hill (a/k/a Universal Message/ Again Comes the Rising of the Sun/ Holy Family/ Revelations 5/ In Heart Only/ Revelations 6/ A Man is Like a Tree; Disc 4 (66:40): Holy Holy/ Spirits Rejoice/ Spirits/ Thank God for Women/ Music is the Healing Force of the Universe/Mary Parks Vocal Announcement & Curtain Call. www.elemental-music.com
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