Since last night, I've made it through discs "0," 1, 2 and 3. The sound quality is exceptional throughout, in some cases surprisingly so (location recordings), in other cases not so surprising (TV and radio recordings). Remastering is up to Revenant's usual high standard, and I've already commented on the staggeringly sumptuous packaging (in which every item in the box has some kind of historic or symbolic value). The performances have been nothing less than enlightening, and I can fairly say I've heard aspects of Ayler's ensemble music that I've never noticed before (including one instance of a Bo Diddley beat rising up through the maelstrom.
Already, I can tell I'll be spending a LOT of time with this one, and that's something you can't always say for a box set.
Steve
P.S. What I refer to as disc "0" is a previously unannounced bonus disc that contains two brief performances by Ayler as a part of an Army big band. Very conventional charts and performances, but you can still hear the germ of something special in Ayler's own playing.
