A swingin" affair once again from Mr. Charles Gayle, who, along with David S. Ware, is the preeminent avant-garde tenor saxophone player of the era. Shades of mid-60s ESP-Disk/Impulse havoc abound, but actually this is a more lyrical affair than Gayle"s previous two Knitting Factory albums, Kingdom Come and Testaments. On earlier CDs, Gayle seemed to keep reaching and reaching, and while his fortitude was inspiring, it seemed at times groundless. On Ancient of Days, Gayle and his collaborators lay a more solid foundation, which at least brings him back to earth once in a while. Joining Gayle on Ancient of Days is a stellar cast of players, including the spirited pianist Hank Johnson, bassist Juini Booth, and longtime Gayle drummer Michael Wimberly, who evokes outright Elvin Jones-style percussion on "New Earth." Ancient Of Days is a masterpiece of consistent, fire-breathing testimonial. --Joe S. Harrington