| Healing Force / Songs Of Albert Ayler, The |
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| Album: | Songs Of Albert Ayler, The | Collection: | Jazz | |
| Artist: | Healing Force | Added: | Oct 2007 | |
| Label: | Cuneiform Records | |||
| A-File Activity |
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| Add Date: | 2007-12-09 | Pull Date: | 2008-02-10 | Charts: | Jazz |
| Week Ending: | Feb 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 13 | Jan 6 | Dec 16 |
| Airplays: | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Feb 13, 2008: | nag champa orangeasm Heart Love | 4. | Jan 11, 2008: | The Fifth Hour Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe | |
| 2. | Feb 08, 2008: | Memory Select New Generation | 5. | Jan 04, 2008: | Memory Select New Generation | |
| 3. | Jan 18, 2008: | Memory Select Heart Love | 6. | Jan 04, 2008: | No Cover, No Minimum: Extended Wanderings Thank God For Women |
| Album Review |
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| Craig Matsumoto Reviewed 2007-12-01 | ||
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Punk aggression, pop silliness, Zappa-esque guitar noodling, and hardy free jazz, adding up to a tribute to Albert Ayler's later compositions. All-star cast includes Henry Kaiser and Joe Morris, plus local improv folks like Weasel Walter. There's a wide mix of styles from track to track, or even within tracks, making the album an intersting exploration. Vocals from Aurora Josephson were hard to take for some -- she plays it straight, mostly, but sometimes sounds off key? (5) or sings too low in her range (2,9). Kaiser and ex-Zappaite Mike Keneally give things a rock edge at times, while Damon Smith (bass) and Vinny Golia (reeds) bring us back into the jazz realm. Despite the variety, the session doesn't feel scattershot -- there's an undercurrent of respectful out-jazz playing that binds it all together. The 20-minute second track sticks to a reverent jazz feel that lets you know they take Ayler seriously, even though they're having fun with his music. 1- Cool sax solo. Odd spoken interlude -- by the ENTIRE BAND -- a kind of prayer for Ayler's music. It's a bit goofy. 2- Soaring, sweeping, a very '60s feel. Low vocal in reverent tones. Some good sax flights. Lots of Kenneally's zappa-like guitar in the second half. 3- Plodding "Japanese" melody that's trite and even a bit insulting. Gets into a slashing, vicious, out-of-control sax solo while the Japanese calmness continues in the background. This one'll confuse a lot of people. Second half gets into crunchy guitar chaos, then an Ayler marching-band theme done in abrasive honks. 4- Slow and near-religious chant, then squealy guitar noodling 5- Aggressive stepping beat; vocals; showoffy Zappa-ish guitar solo (Keneally) .. . Last half gets into some cool wandering over a steady hard beat 6- Squeaky, cranky sax. Suddenly, lounge piano and cutesy vocals. Charmingly goofy. 7- Chunky "Heart/Love" chant and a poetic quiet vocal. Gives way to cool bebop flute and, later, crazy jazz guitar. 8- Fast, jumbly, confusing intro -- snaps into a stoic mid/fast beat, almost a no wave feel, with vocals in an ironic lackluster tone. PAUSE after 5:20, then a squiggly version with a helium vocal that gets into really high keening that some will find annoying. 9- Kaiser guitar noodling, sultry little vocal, crazy sax solo | ||
| Track Listing |
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