---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bernard Stepien <bernard.stepien(a)sympatico.ca&gt; Date: Dec 10, 2006 9:40 AM Subject: Christmas Carols à la Albert Ayler concert announcement To: Bernard Stepien <bernard.stepien(a)sympatico.ca&gt; *Christmas Carols **à la Albert Ayler*** * * by the Bernard Stepien Sextet & guests Friday, *December 22nd, 2006*, 7:00 to 10:00 PM at the *Mercury Lounge* 56 Byward Market Ottawa *Bernard Stepien*, Tenor and Soprano Saxophones *Linsey Wellman*, Alto, Soprano Saxophones and flutes *Anna Williams*, vocal *Mark Molnar*, cello *Thomas Posner*, bass *Scott Warren*, drums and percussions and guests Again, this year we have decided to produce a concert strategically positioned on the last Christmas shopping day and in the Ottawa Byward market where most of you get the ultimate delicacies for the Christmas table. The program this year will be somewhat stretched but surely will provide you with a break from boring Christmas parties small talk. Starting at 7 PM, this will give you the opportunity to stop by without any major detour from your shopping routes. During the '60s, the work of Tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler was considered as revolutionary within an already quite revolutionary context. The basic principles of his music have been summarized by French critic Jean-Louis Comolli as unresolved contradictions and full scale paradoxes. These qualities raised the interest of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane who became his friend and introduced him to the successful jazz label Impulse on which most of Ayler's work can be heard. Among the catalog of contradictions is the use of military music mixed with spirituals, the intensive use of vibrato that most jazz musicians have strictly eliminated from their style. The idea of playing Christmas carols in the style of Albert Ayler has been around for saxophonist Bernard Stepien for a number of years. Early experiments have been attempted with success at jam sessions with members of this group and even now out of town French pianist Jean-François Delannoy. The crystallization of these attempts has been the acquisition of Albert Ayler's 1964 recording of spirituals played in a very plain way and that was not released by anyone back then but have since become a major collector's item. Albert Ayler never recorded Christmas carols during his short career. However, the concept must probably have crossed his mind and he surely must have performed such repertoire in his home town. Bernard Stepien's strong northeastern European background also played a significant role in this project. In Northern Europe, Christmas goes way back to pre-christian times with the cults associated with the winter solstice. So, for saxophonist Bernard Stepien, Christmas music is kind of built-in! As usual, singing along is welcome. Merry Christmas Dans les années 60, le saxophoniste Albert Ayler a accompli une révolution dans la musique de Jazz dans un contexte déjà passablement révolutionnaire. Sa musique a été décrite par le critique français Jean-Louis Comolli, co-auteur du dictionaire du Jazz chez Robert Laffont, comme un lieu d'exposition de contradictions non résolues et de paradoxes entiers. Malgré celà, sa place dans l'histoire du Jazz est irrévocablement importante et donne lieu à des rééditions fréquentes. Parmi ses contradictions, le trait le plus marquant est le mélange extrème de genres musicaux, dans son cas la musique militaire napoléonienne avec les négro-spirituals sans parler de l'utilisation de techniques instrumentales comme un fort vibrato qui avait été abandonné par la quasi-totalité des saxophonistes de jazz auparavant. Le saxophoniste Bernard Stepien, leader du groupe, a eu l'idée de remplacer le matériel négro-spirituel habituellement utilisé par Albert Ayler par des chansons de Noël apportant ainsi une contradiction supplémentaire son l'oeuvre. Son origine ethnique nord-européenne l'a exposé intensivement aux rituels de célébration de Noël qui remontent dans la nuit des temps ou Noël était surtout associé au solstice d'hiver. Les études avec le pianiste de jazz Cecil Taylor en 2001 à New York ont fait le reste, c'est à dire un style d'improvisation basé sur le dévelopement mélodique cellulaire. Joyeux Noël