Chicago » Calendar » The Ayler Xmas Show at The Hungry Brain
The Ayler Xmas Show at The Hungry Brain
Courtesy of Sachiko Takahashi | Posted on November 3, 2017
Where
The Hungry Brain
2319 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL
Map
(773) 687-8230
When
Sun, December 10, 2017
9:00 pm
At Door
Save the date
Musicians
Mars Williams
saxophoneSteve Hunt
keyboardsJim Baker
pianoKent Kessler
bass, acousticJosh Berman
cornetAbout
For many years Witches & Devils, the long-running Albert Ayler tribute band led by saxophonist Mars Williams, have existed mostly as an excuse to get together and perform an annual Chicago holiday concert.
For these memorable concerts, Williams merges a variety of Christmas songs with the indelible repertoire of free-jazz titan Ayler, who brought a scalding intensity to tunes rooted in gospel and spirituals. It may sound silly, but the performances are no joke, and they produce a seriously joyful noise. The band tackles warhorses like “O Tannenbaum” and “12 Days of Christmas” in the same smoldering fashion as their take on Ayler: the rhythm section bubbles and generates a kind of levitating intensity during the wonderfully expressive, multilinear theme statements, while the horns state familiar melodies in loose cries and the embellished lines of each player pull apart and coalesce in a naturalistic frenzy. Williams designs clever medleys that appropriate the pulse and feel of particular Ayler tunes as the band rips through a greatest-hits lineup of holiday tracks. ...