Reviewing a newly released Holiday-themed album is a tradition here, but always happens without any forethought. That’s because I’m always inclined to think that Christmas carols have already been covered in every way imaginable and no one’s going to offer a fresh, intriguing angle to these kinds of songs this time around that’s worth writing about. And every year, I’m proven wrong.
This year, the album that “got me” is from the Psychedelic Furs’ saxophonist. Mars Williams put together not one, but two completely difference ensembles — one in Chicago and one in New York — to present not merely jazz versions of Yuletide songs, but Yuletide songs as how they might had been interpreted by wack jazz great Albert Ayler. This is not a new revelation, either, because An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4: Chicago vs. NYC is Williams’ fourth annual set of live recordings from concerts the year before that he’s made based on this fantastic idea.
The Chicago crew kicked off the affair with “The Hanukkah-Xmas March of Truth For 12 Days of Jingling Bells With Spirits In Chicago,” a klezmer-injected piece making clearly-defined, musical declaration statements that quickly dissolve back into the free improv ether. After a few minutes, though, all proceedings halt and in its place is Jim Baker’s elegantly flowing piano, soon joined by Josh Berman’s cornet and then Williams’s sax and Brian Sandstrom’s trumpet, who all overwhelm and dismiss Baker. During this horn convo, Williams makes “Jingle Bell” quotes as the full band re-enters with fury prior to the strings of Baker (viola), Katinka Kleijn (cello) and Kent Kessler (bass) convening for a conference of their own. “O Tannenbaum” emerges from the haze, which ends up serving as a launching point for an Ayler-esque riff that includes extensive quotes from “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” summarized by Mars Williams’ performance-ending soliloquy.
“The Heavenly Home Bashing Of The Bells” is heavily derived from “Carol of the Bells” with Baker’s viola making that strain chaotic with the brass guys getting in on the action and before long, Williams is leading everyone into the dramatic ending.
“Noel Omega – Change Has Come For The Three Kings Who Lit The Tiny Candles In Chicago” starts off using “The First Noel” as a springboard for free-form shenanigans, pivoting to a jaunty march version of the song steered by Steve Hunt’s ever-restless drums. Hunt then segues the band into a total deconstruction that briefly regroups with Sandstrom on fuzz guitar. About halfway through while the band is contemplating its next move, Williams is heard reciting the “We Three Kings” theme. The whole things ends with a somber denouement.
“Did You Hear They Found Light In Darkness Looking For Christmas?” has those prototypical Ayler cheery sing-song melodies, and just as typical of Ayler, those melodies eventually run amok. During a peaceful moment “The Christmas Song” materializes, with Keefe Jackson helping out on baritone saxophone.
The last two cuts come from Mars Williams’ New York concert with his New York band, and the main point of intrigue lies in how differently these songs are performed from the Chicago versions. “The Hanukkah-Xmas March of Truth For 12 Days of Jingling Bells With Spirits In NYC” has plenty of highlights, like Williams’ lively duel with trombonist Steve Swell, and Nels Cline doing wonderfully unhinged Nels Cline things on guitar. Fred Lonberg-Holm manages to top that by doing Nels Cline things on his cello. The second time Williams and Swell tangle, they’re dissecting “Jingle Bells” and run through a couple more Christmas carols together, basically working them into improvisations.
A rolling rumble from bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Chris Corsano kicks off “Noel Omega – Change Has Come For The Three Kings Who Lit The Tiny Candles In NYC” and as Cline and Lonberg-Holm scrape, the horn guys play “The First Noel” in both inside and outside ways. The jaunty mood devolves into a sonic graveyard with Cline and Lonberg-Holm making it uniquely alien, and as he did in Chicago, Williams pulls the song out of the doldrums with “We Three Kings,” eventually leading into Cline’s wailing rock guitar lead.
These ain’t Christmas carols for traditionalists, but Mars Williams has started a new tradition that seems so right in line with a year that has broken all semblance of normalcy. Regardless, An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4: Chicago vs. NYC is wild and unpredictable fun, no matter the times we’re in.
An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4: Chicago vs. NYC is now available, through Astral Spirits.
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