Jimmy Lyons - Other Afternoons

I've noticed that blogger chums Serviceton and Sotise have started resurrecting old BYG Actuel records, so I thought I might as well get in on the game myself. This was posted on the Church#9 blog a couple of years ago, then in the mp3 format, so as to justify resposting it, I've upgraded it to the lossless flac format.

This was Jimmy Lyons' first record as a leader and with him were two other members of the Cecil Taylor group, Alan Silva on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums. In for Cecil on this date is trumpeter extraordinaire Lester Bowie, a member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and a Paris resident at the time.

Stylistically this is lodged somewhere between bop mode and excursions into freer areas. Only two tracks per side, the second low-key, low-tempo chill outs after the more upbeat first tracks on each side. "However" stays basically in a bop mode and both "Premonitions" and "My You" are as indicated are somber pieces coming off the peaked performances starting each side. However, it's the title track which is the real clincher here with Jimmy Lyons delivering one of those solos which have to go down in history as something else. Starting off modulating the prhrases, he builds up into a frenzy of shrieks, but stays in control all the while. Lester Young has to jump in at the top and keep riding the wave until it subsides in a Cyrille drum solo and things are gliding into the quieter territory of "Premonitions". Truly astounding!

1. Other Afternoons
2. Premonitions
3. However
4. My You

Jimmy Lyons - alto sax
Lester Bowie - trumpet
Alan Silva - bass
Andrew Cyrille - drums

Recorded 15 August 1969 in Paris.

As the pieces more or less run together, I've ripped the A and B sides as two contiguous tracks. Scans are included in the attached files.

Enjoy! One of the seminal BYG albums!