If it weren’t for Jeff Schwartz’s online book about Albert Ayler, you wouldn’t be reading this right now. Back in the day it was the only thing that came up about Ayler on the entire world wide web. It gave me the idea for this site and was the basis for much of the information on here in the early days. So now he has a book about Free Jazz, which will be published by Suny Press on 1st October. Here’s the blurb:
‘In the late 1950s, free jazz broke all the rules, liberating musicians both to create completely spontaneous and unplanned performances and to develop unique personal musical systems. This genre emerged alongside the radical changes of the 1960s, particularly the Civil Rights, Black Arts, and Black Power movements. Free Jazz is a new and accessible introduction to this exciting, controversial, and often misunderstood music, drawing on extensive research, close listening, and the author’s experience as a performer. More than a catalog of artists and albums, the book explores the conceptual areas they opened: freedom, spirituality, energy, experimentalism, and self-determination. These are discussed in relation to both the political and artistic currents of the times and to specific musical techniques, explained in language clear to ordinary readers but also useful for musicians.’
And, I’m not sure whether I should mention it, but Jeff added this on his facebook post about the book:
“A more reasonably priced paperback is scheduled for June 2023.”
*
Saints
I’ve always questioned whether I was the right person to do this site since my musical knowledge is dire and the closest I get to analysing Albert’s music is saying I like that little laugh he does at the end of ‘Change Has Come’. But, luckily for you, there are people like Sean Wilkie around who can do the important stuff. Prompted by a title change of ‘Saints’ to ‘Prophecy’ on the Hat Hut re-release of Spirits (aka Witches And Devils) in the Revisited series (Albert Ayler Quartets 1964 Spirits To Ghosts Revisited ezz-thetics 1101) Sean has written a piece explaining why he thinks the change shouldn’t have come. It’s on the Spirits Covers page.
*
Kasper Collin and other stuff
This from Kasper Collin’s twitter feed (via Dirk Goedeking) in reply to Lavelle Porter asking if My Name Is Albert Ayler will be released:
"Oh, thanks. So glad to hear. Ayler doc is a constant headache. Everytime I’ve said it’s soon to be rereleased I’ve meant it. A great distributor wants to do it this year. It was made in the short but peculiar age of DVCam. Much restoring/upscaling work to make it distributable."
I’ve always thought that the lack of a DVD release of Kasper Collin’s film was down to some legal problem regarding Mary Maria Parks; which was why the Fondation Maeght would not release their Ayler documentary (or so Bernard Stollman told me). This is the first time I’ve heard of technical problems regarding the film. I do wonder, with the release of Revelations with the full approval of the Ayler Estate, whether things have changed recently. Mayhap Maria Maria has joined Albert in the Great Majority. More research needed.
Dirk also sent me the beginning of a review of the Ayler Octet’s performance at the Village Theater from The New York Times of 27th February, 1967:
“The Albert Ayler Octet indicated at a concert at the Village Theater on Saturday night that the jazz avant-garde really does have a song in its heart. However, the song turned out to be rather monotonous—a singsong country jig that served as an ensemble theme on several occasions.”
And here’s the rest of it from the cloth-eared bugger.
And finally Dirk came across this, described as
“back to double bass with a composition I made years ago with multiphonics and various techniques exploding from an albert ayler melody”
|