Biography by Fred Thomas
Tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler was one of the most mysterious and powerful forces in the free jazz movement of the ‘60s, once summing up his place in the scene by stating “Trane was the father, Pharoah was the son, and I am the Holy Ghost.” Ayler’s tone was raw and his compositions were eruptive; in just a few short years, he moved from relatively restrained playing to albums of chaotic emotional upheaval. This style crested with albums on ESP-Disk and Impulse!, like 1965’s Spirits Rejoice or 1967’s blistering live set In Greenwich Village, documents that showcased Ayler’s strange mix of fiery group improvisation and melodic themes that simultaneously recalled and disassembled children’s nursery rhymes and New Orleans-style brass band funeral marches. In his time, Ayler was adored by some critics but never reached any level of commercial success. Ongoing struggles with financial security and mental health might have motivated the unpredictable turn Ayler’s output took toward a bizarre version of soul-funk on later albums like 1969’s New Grass, but even when pursuing pop crossover success, Ayler’s music retained both its raw immediacy and full-force spiritual themes. Ayler was found dead in November of 1970, drowned in New York’s East River under circumstances that were never officially illuminated. The attention and fame that eluded him while he was alive grew substantially after his death, with new generations of improvisers discovering Ayler’s ungovernable sounds perennially and turning him into one of free jazz’s key influential figures over time. Different media focusing on Ayler’s life and artistry eventually surfaced, as did a wealth of posthumously released recordings, including 2004’s massive ten-disc box set Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70) and 2022’s Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondations Maeght Recordings, an extensive compilation of some of Ayler’s final concert performances.
Albert Ayler was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1936 and grew up in the Shaker Heights neighborhood. He first played saxophone as a child, getting lessons from his father and playing duets with him in their church. Ayler was gigging professionally as early as age 16, playing sax in R&B performer Little Walter’s touring band. After some time in the military he relocated to Sweden in 1962. There he led some bands of his own and also jammed on occasion with Cecil Taylor, finding his voice as he strayed from the more traditional playing of his upbringing toward more avant-garde ideas. In 1963 he returned to the U.S., living in New York and immersing himself in the burgeoning free jazz scene there. 1963 also saw the release of his debut album, My Name Is Albert Ayler, which presented a more subdued reading of his quickly evolving style. He hit a stride in terms of both artistry and momentum in 1964, working with ESP-Disk on what would be the label’s first jazz record, Spirits Rejoice, as well as recording multiple studio and live dates that would eventually be released as albums like Prophecy, Spiritual Unity, and New York Eye and Ear Control, a dense collective improvisation with Don Cherry, Sonny Murray, John Tchicai, Gary Peacock, and Roswell Rudd. Around 1965, Ayler’s younger brother Donald Ayler joined his band on trumpet. Donald’s unschooled technique and visceral playing heightened the already transcendent sound his brother was achieving, and the Aylers began playing frequently with a revolving cast of like-minded improvisers. In 1966, Impulse! Records offered Ayler a recording contract at the urging of John Coltrane, who was the label’s main attraction at that time. Impulse! would release some of Ayler’s most groundbreaking material over the next few years, including 1967’s In Greenwich Village, 1968’s hippie-geared and harpsichord-heavy Love Cry, and the confusing 1969 release New Grass, which found Ayler and his girlfriend Mary Maria Parks singing high-energy pop songs that still fit uncontainable free sax solos over their more their more traditional structures. By the end of 1967, Donald Ayler had stopped playing music after suffering a mental and emotional breakdown, and Ayler struggled with the guilt of feeling responsible for dragging his brother into an unhealthy lifestyle. His struggle was compounded as he continued to face commercial failure, even with the prestigious Impulse! in his corner. 1969 recording sessions would result in the music that became 1970’s Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe and 1971’s The Last Album (both released on Impulse!) but it would also be his last time in the studio. Following a tour of France in July of 1970, Ayler returned to New York. He went missing in early November of that year, and on November 25, 1970, his body was found floating in the East River. The circumstances surrounding his death have never been brought to light publicly, but many close to him suspected suicide.
In the years that followed his death, Ayler’s legacy and influence grew exponentially. His unbridled playing style and emotional reaching inspired subsequent waves of avant-garde improvisers, but his boundless approach to creativity and the parameters of sound would also resonate with those in noise, hardcore punk, and other experimental circles. In 2005, Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin released his documentary film My Name Is Albert Ayler, telling the musician’s life story through archival footage, and a host of interviews. As the decades went on, Ayler’s work would ironically become some of the best-selling music within the free jazz genre, and unreleased material would periodically be culled from the archives. Among the more impressive posthumous releases of Ayler’s music is 2004’s exhaustive box set Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70), a collection of material that includes never-before-heard rehearsal tapes, live recordings, interviews, and even audio of Ayler playing at Coltrane’s funeral. Other notable Ayler collections released after his death include 1978’s The Village Concerts, which drew its material from the same live dates that yielded In Greenwich Village, 2002’s The Copenhagen Tapes, which gathered live material and studio broadcasts from a stint in Denmark circa 1964, and the 2022 release Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondations Maeght Recordings, which presented multiple nights from Ayler’s final performances in France.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/albert-ayler-mn0000614339#biography
Tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler was one of the most mysterious and powerful forces in the free jazz movement of the ‘60s, once summing up his place in the scene by stating “Trane was the father, Pharoah was the son, and I am the Holy Ghost.” Ayler’s tone was raw and his compositions were eruptive; in just a few short years, he moved from relatively restrained playing to albums of chaotic emotional upheaval. This style crested with albums on ESP-Disk and Impulse!, like 1965’s Spirits Rejoice or 1967’s blistering live set In Greenwich Village, documents that showcased Ayler’s strange mix of fiery group improvisation and melodic themes that simultaneously recalled and disassembled children’s nursery rhymes and New Orleans-style brass band funeral marches. In his time, Ayler was adored by some critics but never reached any level of commercial success. Ongoing struggles with financial security and mental health might have motivated the unpredictable turn Ayler’s output took toward a bizarre version of soul-funk on later albums like 1969’s New Grass, but even when pursuing pop crossover success, Ayler’s music retained both its raw immediacy and full-force spiritual themes. Ayler was found dead in November of 1970, drowned in New York’s East River under circumstances that were never officially illuminated. The attention and fame that eluded him while he was alive grew substantially after his death, with new generations of improvisers discovering Ayler’s ungovernable sounds perennially and turning him into one of free jazz’s key influential figures over time. Different media focusing on Ayler’s life and artistry eventually surfaced, as did a wealth of posthumously released recordings, including 2004’s massive ten-disc box set Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70) and 2022’s Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondations Maeght Recordings, an extensive compilation of some of Ayler’s final concert performances.
Albert Ayler was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1936 and grew up in the Shaker Heights neighborhood. He first played saxophone as a child, getting lessons from his father and playing duets with him in their church. Ayler was gigging professionally as early as age 16, playing sax in R&B performer Little Walter’s touring band. After some time in the military he relocated to Sweden in 1962. There he led some bands of his own and also jammed on occasion with Cecil Taylor, finding his voice as he strayed from the more traditional playing of his upbringing toward more avant-garde ideas. In 1963 he returned to the U.S., living in New York and immersing himself in the burgeoning free jazz scene there. 1963 also saw the release of his debut album, My Name Is Albert Ayler, which presented a more subdued reading of his quickly evolving style. He hit a stride in terms of both artistry and momentum in 1964, working with ESP-Disk on what would be the label’s first jazz record, Spirits Rejoice, as well as recording multiple studio and live dates that would eventually be released as albums like Prophecy, Spiritual Unity, and New York Eye and Ear Control, a dense collective improvisation with Don Cherry, Sonny Murray, John Tchicai, Gary Peacock, and Roswell Rudd. Around 1965, Ayler’s younger brother Donald Ayler joined his band on trumpet. Donald’s unschooled technique and visceral playing heightened the already transcendent sound his brother was achieving, and the Aylers began playing frequently with a revolving cast of like-minded improvisers. In 1966, Impulse! Records offered Ayler a recording contract at the urging of John Coltrane, who was the label’s main attraction at that time. Impulse! would release some of Ayler’s most groundbreaking material over the next few years, including 1967’s In Greenwich Village, 1968’s hippie-geared and harpsichord-heavy Love Cry, and the confusing 1969 release New Grass, which found Ayler and his girlfriend Mary Maria Parks singing high-energy pop songs that still fit uncontainable free sax solos over their more their more traditional structures. By the end of 1967, Donald Ayler had stopped playing music after suffering a mental and emotional breakdown, and Ayler struggled with the guilt of feeling responsible for dragging his brother into an unhealthy lifestyle. His struggle was compounded as he continued to face commercial failure, even with the prestigious Impulse! in his corner. 1969 recording sessions would result in the music that became 1970’s Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe and 1971’s The Last Album (both released on Impulse!) but it would also be his last time in the studio. Following a tour of France in July of 1970, Ayler returned to New York. He went missing in early November of that year, and on November 25, 1970, his body was found floating in the East River. The circumstances surrounding his death have never been brought to light publicly, but many close to him suspected suicide.
In the years that followed his death, Ayler’s legacy and influence grew exponentially. His unbridled playing style and emotional reaching inspired subsequent waves of avant-garde improvisers, but his boundless approach to creativity and the parameters of sound would also resonate with those in noise, hardcore punk, and other experimental circles. In 2005, Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin released his documentary film My Name Is Albert Ayler, telling the musician’s life story through archival footage, and a host of interviews. As the decades went on, Ayler’s work would ironically become some of the best-selling music within the free jazz genre, and unreleased material would periodically be culled from the archives. Among the more impressive posthumous releases of Ayler’s music is 2004’s exhaustive box set Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70), a collection of material that includes never-before-heard rehearsal tapes, live recordings, interviews, and even audio of Ayler playing at Coltrane’s funeral. Other notable Ayler collections released after his death include 1978’s The Village Concerts, which drew its material from the same live dates that yielded In Greenwich Village, 2002’s The Copenhagen Tapes, which gathered live material and studio broadcasts from a stint in Denmark circa 1964, and the 2022 release Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondations Maeght Recordings, which presented multiple nights from Ayler’s final performances in France.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/albert-ayler-mn0000614339#biography
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Biografía de Fred Thomas
El saxofonista tenor Albert Ayler fue una de las fuerzas más misteriosas y poderosas del movimiento free jazz de los años 60, resumiendo una vez su lugar en la escena al afirmar: "Trane era el padre, Pharoah era el hijo y yo soy el Espíritu Santo."El tono de Ayler era crudo y sus composiciones eran explosivas; en solo unos pocos años, pasó de tocar relativamente moderado a álbumes de agitación emocional caótica. ¡Este estilo llegó a la cima con álbumes en ESP-Disk e Impulse!, como Spirits Rejoice de 1965 o blistering live set In Greenwich Village de 1967, documentos que mostraban la extraña mezcla de fogosa improvisación grupal y temas melódicos de Ayler que simultáneamente recordaban y desmontaban canciones infantiles infantiles y marchas fúnebres de bandas de música al estilo de Nueva Orleans. En su época, Ayler fue adorado por algunos críticos, pero nunca alcanzó ningún nivel de éxito comercial. Las continuas luchas con la seguridad financiera y la salud mental podrían haber motivado el giro impredecible que tomó la producción de Ayler hacia una versión extraña del soul-funk en álbumes posteriores como New Grass de 1969, pero incluso cuando buscaba el éxito del crossover pop, la música de Ayler conservó tanto su inmediatez pura como su fuerza espiritual.temas. Ayler fue encontrado muerto en noviembre de 1970, ahogado en el East River de Nueva York en circunstancias que nunca fueron iluminadas oficialmente. La atención y la fama que se le escaparon mientras estaba vivo crecieron sustancialmente después de su muerte, con nuevas generaciones de improvisadores descubriendo perennemente los sonidos ingobernables de Ayler y convirtiéndolo en una de las figuras influyentes clave del free jazz con el tiempo. Eventualmente surgieron diferentes medios centrados en la vida y el arte de Ayler, al igual que una gran cantidad de grabaciones lanzadas póstumamente,incluida la enorme caja de diez discos de 2004 Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70) y Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Foundations Maeght Recordings, una extensa compilación de algunas de las últimas actuaciones de Ayler en concierto.
Albert Ayler nació en Cleveland, Ohio, en 1936 y creció en el vecindario de Shaker Heights. Tocó el saxofón por primera vez cuando era niño, recibió lecciones de su padre y tocó a dúo con él en su iglesia. Ayler tocaba profesionalmente desde los 16 años, tocando el saxo en la banda de gira del intérprete de R&B Little Walter. Después de un tiempo en el ejército, se mudó a Suecia en 1962. Allí dirigió algunas bandas propias y también tocó en ocasiones con Cecil Taylor, encontrando su voz a medida que se alejaba de la interpretación más tradicional de su educación hacia ideas más vanguardistas. En 1963 regresó a los EE.UU., viviendo en Nueva York y sumergiéndose en la floreciente escena del free jazz allí. 1963 también vio el lanzamiento de su álbum debut, My Name Is Albert Ayler, que presentó una lectura más moderada de su estilo en rápida evolución. Dio un gran salto en términos de arte e impulso en 1964, trabajando con ESP-Disk en lo que sería el primer disco de jazz del sello, Spirits Rejoice, además de grabar múltiples fechas de estudio y en vivo que eventualmente se lanzarían como álbumes como Prophecy, Spiritual Unity y New York Eye and Ear Control, una densa improvisación colectiva con Don Cherry, Sonny Murray, John Tchicai, Gary Peacock y Roswell Rudd. Alrededor de 1965, el hermano menor de Ayler, Donald Ayler, se unió a su banda tocando la trompeta. La técnica no escolarizada de Donald y su interpretación visceral realzaron el sonido ya trascendente que su hermano estaba logrando, y los Ayler comenzaron a tocar con frecuencia con un elenco rotativo de improvisadores de ideas afines. En 1966, Impulse! Records le ofreció a Ayler un contrato de grabación a instancias de John Coltrane, quien era la principal atracción del sello en ese momento. ¡Impulso! lanzaría algunos de los materiales más innovadores de Ayler en los próximos años, incluido In Greenwich Village de 1967, Love Cry, de 1968, con engranajes hippies y clavecín pesado, y el confuso lanzamiento de 1969 New Grass, que encontró a Ayler y su novia Mary Maria Parks cantando canciones pop de alta energía que aún encajan en solos de saxo libres incontenibles sobre sus estructuras más tradicionales. A fines de 1967, Donald Ayler había dejado de tocar música después de sufrir un colapso mental y emocional, y Ayler luchó con la culpa de sentirse responsable de arrastrar a su hermano a un estilo de vida poco saludable. ¡Su lucha se agravó a medida que continuaba enfrentando el fracaso comercial, incluso con el prestigioso Impulse! en su esquina. Las sesiones de grabación de 1969 darían como resultado la música que se convirtió en Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe de 1970 y The Last Album de 1971 (¡ambos lanzados por Impulso!) pero también sería su última vez en el estudio. Después de una gira por Francia en julio de 1970, Ayler regresó a Nueva York. Desapareció a principios de noviembre de ese año, y el 25 de noviembre de 1970, su cuerpo fue encontrado flotando en el East River. Las circunstancias que rodearon su muerte nunca han salido a la luz pública, pero muchas personas cercanas a él sospechaban que se había suicidado.
En los años que siguieron a su muerte, el legado y la influencia de Ayler crecieron exponencialmente. Su estilo de tocar desenfrenado y su alcance emocional inspiraron oleadas posteriores de improvisadores vanguardistas, pero su enfoque ilimitado de la creatividad y los parámetros del sonido también resonaría con aquellos en el ruido, el hardcore punk y otros círculos experimentales. En 2005, el cineasta sueco Kasper Collin estrenó su documental My Name Is Albert Ayler, que cuenta la historia de la vida del músico a través de imágenes de archivo y una gran cantidad de entrevistas. A medida que pasaban las décadas, el trabajo de Ayler se convertiría irónicamente en una de las músicas más vendidas dentro del género free jazz, y periódicamente se extraería material inédito de los archivos. Entre los lanzamientos póstumos más impresionantes de la música de Ayler se encuentra el exhaustivo box set Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70) de 2004, una colección de material que incluye cintas de ensayo nunca antes escuchadas, grabaciones en vivo, entrevistas e incluso audio de Ayler tocando en el funeral de Coltrane. Otras colecciones notables de Ayler lanzadas después de su muerte incluyen The Village Concerts de 1978, que extrajo su material de las mismas fechas en vivo que se produjeron en Greenwich Village, The Copenhagen Tapes de 2002, que recopiló material en vivo y transmisiones de estudio de una temporada en Dinamarca alrededor de 1964, y el lanzamiento de 2022 Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondations Maeght Recordings, que presentó varias noches de las últimas actuaciones de Ayler en Francia.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/albert-ayler-mn0000614339#biography
Vol 1
1 - Bells 19:45
2 - Spirits 7:53
3 - Wizard 8:24
4 - Ghosts, First Variation 11:18
5 - Prophecy 7:13
6 - Ghosts, Second Variation 7:06
Vol 2
1 - Spirits 6:38
2 - Saints 10:32
3 - Ghosts 10:56
4 - The Wizard 6:51
5 - Children 9:05
6 - Spirits (theme) 0:28
Credits
Albert Ayler – tenor saxophone
Charles Tyler - alto saxophone (1.1)
Donald Ayler – trumpet (1.1)
Gary Peacock – bass
Lewis Worrell – bass (1.1)
Sunny Murray – drums, percussion
Notes:
Track 1-1: Recorded live at Town Hall, New York City, May 1, 1965
Tracks 1-2 to 1-6, 2-1 to 2-6: Recorded live at Cellar Café, New York City, June 14, 1964
2016
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