Albert Ayler – Spirits Rejoice 

Spirits Rejoice is a live album by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded in New York City in 1965 and first released on the ESP-Disk label. The recording session took place without an audience at Judson Hall, which had been rented solely for recording purposes.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 4½ stars, calling it “one of Albert Ayler’s wildest, noisiest albums”, and stating: “For all its apparent chaos, Spirits Rejoice is often surprisingly pre-arranged – witness all the careening harmony passages that accompany the theme statements, and the seamless transitions of the title track. Spirits Rejoice is proof that there was an underlying logic even to Ayler’s most extreme moments, and that’s why it remains a tremendously inspiring recording”.

Arthur Blythe – Illusions 

llusionsis jazz saxophonist Arthur Blythe‘s third album for the Columbia label, recorded in New York City in 1980.

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Robert Palmer placed the album at fifth place in his best of 1980 list for The New York Times, proclaiming Blythe to be a “formidable alto saxophonist” and that the funk tunes on the album “proved that substantial yet danceable jazz isn’t an impossible dream.”

From retrospective reviews, Scott Yanow of AllMusic states that “the distinctive alto of Blythe is heard in top form on six of his unusual originals … It’s recommended.”

Die Sonntagskonzerte um 18°° sind immer etwas besonderes. So auch diesmal der Auftritt der argentinischen Saxophonistin Camila Nebbia, zum ersten Mal zu Besuch im W71, und dem US-Amerikanischen Schlagzeuger Chris Corsano. Gerne wieder. Eine tolle musikalische Reise. Und ein dermaßen euphorisiertes Publikum gab es auch im verwöhnten Club selten ...

... findet

Schorle

Anthony Braxton – Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978

Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978 is a live album by American composer and saxophonist Anthony Braxton. Recorded in Germany in 1978 but not released on the hatART label until 1995, the album features a live concert featuring several of Braxton’s compositions that were first recorded on Creative Orchestra Music 1976.

Reception

Keith Jarrett – Back Hand

Back Hand is an album by American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett recorded in two sessions in October 1974. Originally released in 1975  by Impulse!, it features performances by Jarrett’s American Quartet, which included Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian along with Guilherme Franco added on percussion.

Reception. An AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4.5 stars stating “The group (with Jarrett occasionally switching to flute and Redman to the bizarre-sounding musette) is in typically exploratory, yet often melodic form on lengthy renditions of four of Jarrett’s inside/outside originals.”. In a separate AllMusic review, Michael G. Nastos awarded Back Hand 5 stars, referring to the group as a “landmark quintet”, and writing: “any recording by this band is worthwhile”.