(Funky 45's, Holiday Music) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Mars Williams presents a great installment in this surprisingly long-running series – a really unusual mix of Christmas songs with the avant jazz inspiration of Albert Ayler – served up here in two different performances – one recorded in Chicago, the other in New York! As with the previous volumes, there's a stunning mix of sounds going on – some of the sentiment you might get in a Holiday tune, which seems to open up the more human corners of Ayler music – which includes snippets of "Spirits", "The Truth Is Marching In", "Omega", and "Change Has Come" – folded together with Christmas themes on these beautiful long improvisations! The Chicago group features Williams on saxes and toy instruments – plus Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano and viola, Kent Kessler on bass, Brian Sandstrom on bass and guitar, and Steve Hunt on drums – and the New York group features Steve Swell on trombone, Hilliard Greene on bass, Chris Corsano on drums, Nels Cline on guitar, and Fred Lonberg Holm on cello. Vinyl version features two side-long tracks – two versions of "Noel Omega Change Has Come For The Three Kings Who Lit The Tiny Candles" – one by each group! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful entry in this surprisingly long-running series – a mad mix of music that happens every December, when reedman Mars Williams combines themes from Albert Ayler tunes with other snippets of festive holiday songs! But lest you think this is a standard Christmas record, think again – as the music is very freely improvised, and is much more like an album of free jazz than something you'd be likely to play around the fire with your family – unless your family happens to all be fans of improvised music! Given that Ayler was always hoping his music had the power to reach other audiences, we're thinking he'd be pleased with the project – at least as much as we are. In addition to Mars' own work on saxes, suona, and toy instruments – the group also features Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano and viola, Peter Maunu on violin, Steve Hunt on drums, Kent Kessler on bass, and Brian Sandstrom on bass, guitar, and trumpet – on tunes that include "The Divine Peacemaker Plays Dreidel In Frightful Weather", "The Angels Sing With The Old & New Ghosts In The Manger", and "Did You Hear They Found Light In Darkness". CD