''Seasons'' is a live, triple-LP album by multi-instrumentalist

Alan Silva Alan Lee da Silva (born 22 January 1939, in Bermuda) is an American free jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known as a double bassist. He has recorded on keyboards, violin, cello and trumpet among other instruments. Biography Silva was born a ...

. It was recorded in December 1970 at ORTF Studio 104 in Paris, France, and was released in 1971 by

BYG Records BYG Records was a French record label known for the Actuel series specializing in free jazz. However, the label released a handful of non-jazz recordings by artists such as Musica Elettronica Viva, Terry Riley, Freedom and Gong. History BYG Reco ...

as part of their Actuel series. On the album, Silva is joined by a large ensemble known as the Celestrial Communication Orchestra. The music recorded on ''Seasons'' came about when Silva was asked to organize a concert at short notice following a cancellation by

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

. Silva assembled what he called "a once in a lifetime All Star Band," constructing the music "right there on the stage." The concert, which was broadcast live and well-recorded, was attended by an overflow crowd, and organizers had to set up speakers outside the hall. Silva recalled: "The engineers thought it was a fantastic challenge: unlimited sound density with no breaks, everybody had a cymbal, three pianos, all mixed down live to two channels. When I heard the tapes, I absolutely insisted they release it all, as a triple album."

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Steve Loewy called the album a "remarkable gargantuan effort... for which the term 'masterpiece' is not too far a stretch," and wrote: "this is a magnificent, rambling, chaotic, lavish, and often meandering spectacle... It takes the concept of 'sheets of sound' to the next level... The results are absolutely thrilling, if not always inspiring, and there are many high points... the level of improvisation remains consistently at the highest levels. It is wild and free, and the listener receptive to free improvisation is likely to be held in rapturous attention. Destined to be a classic of its genre, ''Seasons'' offers a full-scale radical bombardment from many perspectives, resulting in a smorgasbord of delights." Steve Moffic, writing for ''Jazz Digest'', stated: "''Seasons'' begins with a rumbling, rippling theme explored by three pianos... which suggests the forthcoming 'storm.' Strong solos by Joseph Jarman and Michel Portal on reeds and Silva on stringed instruments are highlights. The set is long, intense, lagging and wild."

Track listing

Composed by Alan Silva.

Personnel

– bass, violin, sarangi *

Steve Lacy Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015. His self-produced debut EP, '' ...

– soprano saxophone *

Michel Portal Michel Portal (born 27 November 1935) is a French composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He plays both jazz and classical music and is considered to be "one of the architects of modern European jazz". Early life Portal was born in Bayonne on 27 ...

– alto saxophone, Clarinet *

Robin Kenyatta Robin Kenyatta (March 6, 1942 – October 26, 2004) was an American jazz alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. Early life Born Robert Prince Haynes in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Kenyatta grew up in New York City and began playing the saxophone a ...

– alto saxophone, flute * Ronnie Beer – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute *

Joseph Jarman Joseph Jarman (September 14, 1937 – January 9, 2019) was an American jazz musician, composer, poet, and Shinshu Buddhist priest. He was one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and a member of the ...

– saxophone, flute, bassoon *

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figure ...

– saxophone, flute, oboe *

Alan Shorter Alan Shorter (May 29, 1932 – April 5, 1988) was an American free jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, and the older brother of composer and saxophone player Wayne Shorter. Biography Shorter was born in the Ironbound District in Newark, New Jers ...

– trumpet *

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in th ...

– trumpet, flugelhorn *

Bernard Vitet Bernard Vitet (26 May 1934 – 3 July 2013) was a French trumpeter, multi-instrumentist and composer, co-founder of the first free jazz band in France (1964) together with François Tusques, Michel Portal Unit (1972) and Un Drame Musical Instanta ...

– trumpet, French horn * Dieter Gewissler – violin * Jouk Minor – viola *

Kent Carter Kent Carter (born June 14, 1939 in Hanover, New Hampshire) is an American jazz bassist. His father, Alan Carter, founded the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. He is also the grandson of American artist, Rockwell Kent. He worked in Steve Lacy (saxophoni ...

– cello *

Irene Aebi Irene Aebi (born 27 July 1939 in Zurich, Switzerland) is a Switzerland, Swiss singer, violinist and cellist. She is noted for her work with jazz saxophonist Steve Lacy (saxophonist), Steve Lacy, her husband, from the 1960s to his death in 2004. In ...

– cello, celeste *

Beb Guérin Bernard "Beb" Guérin (December 22, 1941 in La Rochelle – November 14, 1980 in Paris) was a French jazz double-bassist. Beb Guérin first began playing bass at age 23, working in the 1960s with Sonny Criss, Jacques Coursil, François Tusques, Al ...

(credited as "bg") – bass *

Malachi Favors Malachi Favors (August 22, 1927 – January 30, 2004) was an American jazz bassist who played with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography "Favors's tendency to dissemble about his age was a well-known source of mirth to fellow musicians of his g ...

(credited as "mf") – bass *

Dave Burrell Herman Davis "Dave" Burrell (born September 10, 1940) is an American jazz pianist. He has played with many jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown and David Murray. Biography Born in Middletown, Ohio, United Sta ...

– piano *

Joachim Kühn Joachim Kurt Kühn (born 15 March 1944) is a German jazz pianist. Biography Kühn was born in Leipzig, Germany. He was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition, with Arthur Schmidt-E ...

– piano *

Bobby Few Bobby Few (October 21, 1935 – January 6, 2021) was an American jazz pianist and vocalist. Early life Born Robert Lee Few Junior on October 21, 1935, in Cleveland, Ohio, "he was the son of Robert Senior, a maître d'hôtel at a white country ...

(credited as "bf") – piano *

Famoudou Don Moye Donald Moye, Jr. (born May 23, 1946), known as Famoudou Don Moye, is an American jazz percussionist and drummer. He is most known for his involvement with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and is noted for his mastery of African and Caribbean percuss ...

– drums, percussion *

Jerome Cooper Jerome Douglas Cooper (December 14, 1946 – May 6, 2015) was an American free jazz musician. In addition to trap drums, Cooper played balafon, chirimia and various electronic instruments, and referred to himself as a "multi-dimensional drummer," ...

– drums, percussion * Oliver Johnson – timpani, percussion

References

{{Authority control 1971 live albums Alan Silva live albums BYG Actuel live albums