Albert Ayler — Live On The Riviera
The seven song set was recorded at the Maeght Foundation in St. Paul De Vence south eastern France on 25th of July 1970. The line-up was as follows: Albert Ayler- Tenor & Soprano Sax, Musette(a musical instrument of the bag-pipe family) and vocals. Allen Blairman- Drums. Steve Tintweiss - Double Bass. Mary Maria - Vocal, Soprano Saxophone.
These later period recordings very much highlight the presence of his then girlfriend & muse Mary Maria. With her hippy/ religious spoken word, jazzy speak and vocalizing appearing on well over half of the tracks here. Normally I find this type of thing rather trying & annoying, but oddly on this recording it seems to work well with-in the context of the tracks, and surprisingly at some points it enhances them too.
On the whole the set is well recorded, with only the first track “Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe”(which original appeared on Ayler’s last recorded album of the same name) suffering slightly with some of Maria's vocal elements that drift a bit, & at times are not easily discerned. The playing by all three supporting musicians is on top form, as they create a tight yet morphing background for Ayler’s playing which goes from melodic & playfully, to fiery & shrill, and every where in-between
I enjoyed the whole set here really, but they are certainly highlights & these come in the form of: “Birth Of Mirth” (which later appeared on The Last Album- a posthumous album released in 1971) – the track shifts from the opening jaunting & brightly sax melody, with a wondering bass-line & urgent percussion. Through to angular ‘n’ rapid honks & sawing bass, with Maria added in some great & bizarre chattering/speaking-in-tongues like vocalizing. Before going back through melodic wonderings, percussive-less sax & sawing bass break downs, and once more returning back to the mix of fixed & jaunting melody from the start of the track.
“Masonic Inborn” (also originally from Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe) sees Ayler creating these rapid fire cluster of sped-up snake charmer like calls; as the rest of the band hang on for dear live around him. It’s truly a intense yet invigorator track.
“Ghosts” which is a great rendition of this classic Ayler track- it mixers jaunting & almost drunken pirate like melody with more speedy runs, and a few darts into more angular, sawing, & searing honk pile-ups.
I’ll have to admit in the past I was rather in two minds about Ayler’s work in genreal, but this release has very much made me a true convert to Ayler’s distictive mix of harmonic joy & angular intense Sax playing. I really can’t recommended this enough, as it’s a wonderful & varied introduction to this true great of the free jazz form.