Other afternoons 1969

Several times in the 1970s and early 80s I saw Jimmy Lyons perform, but always as part of the Cecil Taylor Unit. His was always a clear and important voicing in that challenging setting; he brought to it an individuality which was steeped in jazz tradition. It was a surprise that, whether by choice or opportunity, Lyons did not record widely outside the Unit.

A month after participating in the explosive concert by the Cecil Taylor Unit at the Fondation Maeght in July 1969, Jimmy Lyons had the opportunity to record what turned out to be the only LP solely under his name until the 1980s. (That balance has been redressed since by Ayler Records issue of many later recordings.)

Lyons, Alan Silva and Andrew Cyrille had recorded together previously in Paris, on Cecil Taylor's “Student Studies” in 1966. Here, for this recording session around Lyons' own compositions, he added Lester Bowie, one of the most heavily recorded musicians of the moment, with BYG records seeming to record the Art Ensemble of Chicago's every daily activity during July 1969 in Paris.

The use of the theme is familiar from Lyons' playing in the Taylor group. The melodic phrase fragments that make up the themes are effectively call-and-response. They do not impel harmonic or rhythmic motion; instead the forward impetus is energy based (or what Ekkehard Jost called “urgent, dynamic chains of impulses”), allowing for extreme shifts in dynamics. This can be heard almost immediately in the title piece, which drops almost immediately to a minimalist, near silent interplay by bass and drums before embarking on the collective exposition.

An Ornette Coleman influence is noted in the original French sleevenotes and is certainly audible in much of the interplay between alto sax and trumpet. Bowie plays the Cherry role, fluttering and complementing the alto lines, but as soon as he takes the front, the whole feel switches to the Art Ensemble (vocalising, phrase parodies).

Cyrille's drumming is dry in texture. For much of the time, the snare is the highest sound, over underlying rumbling drums, with very little prominent cymbal; a long way from the traditions of jazz drumming.

The second track “Premonitions” may be the most challenging, in its recurring use and start and close of wayward pitch variations and resulting interference patterns. Silva moves from conventional string bass playing to join this with pulsating bowed harmonics.

“However”, the third theme, is particularly reminiscent of the Coleman quartet. It is built around the strong centre of Silva's almost conventional bass line, but with many of the conventions of the jazz quartet mutating. Cyrille's off-centre march drumming is constantly sliding, and above are Lyons' Parkeresque alto and interspersed trumpet lines and commentaries. A loose shuffle around tradition that comes together in playful unison arund the theme.

With “My you”, the session finishes on a slow and sedate tuning-together, as sessions so often do.