Jazzmoose Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Ayler got me into jazz, oddly enough. He's an unusual artist to start with, isn't he? I only have one Ayler disc (My Name is..., purchased from a fellow board member), but I was surprised at how accessible the music is, considering Ayler's reputation. Or maybe you guys have totally fried my brain with all this Quartet Out, Ornette, Roscoe Mitchell, Peter Brotzman, AEC, etc., etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Ayler got me into jazz, oddly enough. He's an unusual artist to start with, isn't he? Well, I didn't like jazz when it was around the house as a kid, and had to come to it through punk, then free jazz, then, well... it was all over after I heard Ayler and late Coltrane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Moose, "My Name Is. . . " IS accessible. Go much further forward from there. . . WHOA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Hmm...looks like I have some work to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Of course then at the end more accessible forms resurface. But it's still got plenty of wack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 News from the Supranet site. . . . March 1 2004 News Revenant Records - Albert Ayler Box Set Rumours of a box set of the unreleased recordings of Albert Ayler from Revenant Records began to appear last year in the music press. I decided to wait awhile before mentioning it here in case it fell by the wayside but I can now announce that Holy Ghost, a 9 CD set of previously unissued Ayler material, is due to be released on October 5, 2004. The importance of this can't be stressed enough. One of the reasons I started this site was a fear that Albert Ayler was in danger of being forgotten by the jazz historians and academics, sidelined as a minor figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s. The extreme nature of some of his music, its wild originality and uniqueness, combined with the mysterious circumstances surrounding his early death, have assured his cult status, but he has never really achieved 'respectability' amongst the critical community. I get the impression that while Coltrane, Coleman and Taylor are all comfortably housed in the Jazz Hall of Fame, Albert Ayler is still waiting in the corridor outside. The main reason for this is the Ayler discography. It begins with The First Recordings (which I don't think anyone would claim is a great album) and (almost) ends with the last three Impulse titles (which...ditto). In between there's some of the greatest music (not just jazz - but music) ever recorded, but in assessing Ayler's status, the critic has to deal with the entire body of work. If you'll allow me a metaphor, Ayler's recorded legacy is a jigsaw with some boring grass at the bottom, some equally boring sky at the top, an incredibly interesting scene in the middle, lots of gaps in the whole picture and no side pieces at all. The importance of the Revenant box set is that it will provide the majority of these missing pieces so that the critic will finally be presented with a fairly complete picture of Albert Ayler. Critics love consistency, they like to know where an artist came from and where he was going. Coltrane will always be king because his career was so well-documented. With Ayler there was never this consistency and his music lacked context. To give just one example, on all of his records (apart from Sonny's Time Now and New York Eye and Ear Control) he was the leader. So what was he like playing as a sideman in the band of another avant-garde genius? The Revenant box set answers the question by including the recording Ayler made with the Cecil Taylor unit for Danish TV in November 1962. The Cecil Taylor tape and some of the other Revenant material has been circulating amongst 'collectors' for years, and I don't mean to denigrate the work done by the team which produced last year's 'Ayler Tree', but that was an underground activity and the results were distributed among the cognoscenti. I'm not suggesting that the Revenant set will cause sleepless nights for the likes of Diana Krall, but what it will do is shift all of this Ayler material - 9 CDs worth - from the underground up into the light of day, thus becoming part of the canon of Ayler's recorded legacy and as such available for all future critics and academics to ponder over in the years to come. Over the next few months, as further details of the Revenant set are released, I will add them here - what's included and what's not. But for now I'll just mention two more items in the set. One is the Ayler brothers' performance of 'Our Prayer' at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, New York, on July 21st, 1967 at the funeral of John Coltrane - because of the circumstances in which it was recorded one of the most emotionally intense pieces of music I've ever heard. This will be its first legitimate release. The other is a track which I've never heard and which as far as I know has not been circulating among the 'collectors'. I mention it here partly to offset any impression that Revenant have taken the easy route of compiling the 'usual suspects' from the bootleg underworld, but mostly because it ties in neatly with the Cecil Taylor recording mentioned above. That was Ayler the sideman when he was starting out in 1962, and this is Ayler as a sideman in 1968: Pharaoh Sanders Ensemble: Sanders (tenor saxophone); Chris Capers (trumpet); Albert Ayler (tenor saxophone); Noah Howard (alto saxophone); Dave Burrell (piano); Sirone (bass); Roger Blank (drums) 1. Venus (Sanders) 22:30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 WOOOOW Thanks for sharing this! ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Weil Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 This came up on the Coltrane list earlier today: Dean Blackwood from Revenant sent me a sampler from the to be released in September nine CD Albert Ayler boxed set (I loaned him a flyer from Slugs Saloon to use in the booklet). Here's a heads up on what I have heard. The notes on the CD sleeve only give city and year, so while I believe some of this material is on the Ayler tree done on this mailing list a couple of years ago, I'm not positive, not having done A/B comparisons. The sound quality for the most part is very good. Truth Is Marching In (Germany-1966)-from disc 4 of the tree Summertime (Finland-1962)-his earliest recordings, not known to be in circulation. Rhythm section plus guitar, done in mainstream style, even Ayler, sort of. Not a great solo, structurally, but enjoyable. Mothers (Denmark-1964)-from disc 2 of the tree Ghosts (NYC-1964)-from disc 1 of the tree Untitled Blues (NYC 1968)-quartet (piano, bass, drums)-mid tempo blues, band plays it straight, Ayler wails. Not that hot. Untitled Sermon (NYC-1968)-one minute of prediction of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Free Spiritual Musics, Part IV (The Netherlands-1966)-I remember this song as Change Has Come. With Donald, Sampson, bass, drums, possibly a second bass or cello. Good stuff. Untitled (Cleveland-1966)-duet with Sampson. There is audience applause, so I would imagine this is from their first meeting, at La Cave. Sampson was guesting with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and stopped by the club after his nearby gig at Severance Hall. They already play well together. Our Prayer (Germany-1966)-from disc 4 of the tree Interview #1 (Denmark 1964)-he gives his plans for the future and talks about the inevitability of breaking out of the old structures. Interview #2 (Denmark 1966)-he speaks of playing with Trane, of various drummers, and of true believers. Jack [Lefton] Yum, yum. Simon Weil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 MAN it's going to be great! MAN it's goign to be EXPENSIVE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 MAN it's going to be mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 MAN it's going to be mine! LaManna is going down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 MAN it's going to be mine!   LaManna is going down. The bet was not as to whether or not he went down, that's a foregone conclusion, it was whether or not he would make a move on Tony before he did. Whatsamatta, getting nervous? I might be persuaded to up the ante just a little bit, cause I don't think that treefitty's gonna cover the shipping on this badboy, and every penny counts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 MAN it's going to be mine!   LaManna is going down. The bet was not as to whether or not he went down, that's a foregone conclusion, it was whether or not he would make a move on Tony before he did. Whatsamatta, getting nervous? I might be persuaded to up the ante just a little bit, cause I don't think that treefitty's gonna cover the shipping on this badboy, and every penny counts! Make me an offer, Revenant boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 TreefittyFIVE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 Let's make it 4-even. Perhaps one of the coming Soprano episodes will touch upon Ayler's disappearance.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 4perntohOH it is! You think Paulie wacked Ayler? I'd not bet against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 Is it October 5th yet??????????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD45 Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 MAN it's going to be great! MAN it's goign to be EXPENSIVE! Yeah, if that Charlie Patton box was `$175 for 7 discs, that will make this $225? Yow. But how cool is that? A 9 disc Ayler box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted March 28, 2004 Report Share Posted March 28, 2004 Sounds like this will be my chance to delve full tilt into Ayler's music. I've dabbled - I have the Impulse! live 2CD set, SPIRITUAL UNITY, and have heard some of the other Impulse! stuff - but not enough. Will definitely be picking up the box, hopefully at a decent price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John L Posted March 28, 2004 Report Share Posted March 28, 2004 My birthday is in October. So this is really good timing. As soon as somebody gets wind of the track listing, post it here please!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted March 31, 2004 Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 More news from the Ayler site April 1 2004 News Revenant Records - Albert Ayler Box Set The Cleveland La Cave Tapes The last I heard about the Cleveland La Cave tapes was that they'd been lost. The sessions are mentioned in the Mike Hames discography but as far as I know the tapes have never done the rounds of the bootleg collectors. So it goes without saying that their inclusion in the Revenant box set is quite amazing. The details I have at present are as follows: Albert Ayler Quintet: Ayler (tenor saxophone) with Donald Ayler (trumpet); Michel Sampson (violin); Mutawef Shaheed (fka Clyde Shy) (bass); Ronald Shannon Jackson (drums). Recorded April 16, 1966 at La Cave: Cleveland, Ohio 1. spoken intro (1:00) 2. Spirits Rejoice (4:41) 3. D.C. (6:09) 4. untitled (7:04) 5. Our Prayer (6:50) 6. spoken intro (0:25) 7. untitled (16:01) 8. Ghosts (6:35) Albert Ayler Quintet: Ayler (tenor saxophone) with Donald Ayler (trumpet); Michel Sampson (violin); Mutawef Shaheed (fka Clyde Shy) (bass); Ronald Shannon Jackson (drums); Frank Wright (ts) sits in on several tunes. Recorded April 17, 1966 at La Cave: Cleveland, Ohio 1. Spirits Rejoice (6:47) 2. Medley: Prophet - Ghosts - Spiritual Bells (15:05) 3. Our Prayer (10:07) 4. Untitled/Truth Is Marching In (16:19) 5. Spirits (9:40) 6. Medley: Zion Hill - Spirits - Spiritual Bells (22:34) 7. Untitled (9:38) To put these sessions into some discographical context: Spirits Rejoice was recorded in September '65, then Ayler plays on the Sonny's Time Now session in November '65, then comes La Cave and a month later, in May '66, Live at Slug's Saloon. Presumably the La Cave sessions will resemble Live at Slug's Saloon, since apart from the bass player (Clyde Shy was a longtime friend of the Ayler brothers in Cleveland) it's the same line-up, but the earlier session is interesting for a couple of reasons. According to Richard Koloda, who kindly sent me some background information about the session, the altoist Charles Tyler quit the band during rehearsals for the show, and this was also the first appearance of the violinist, Michel Sampson, with the group, so the recording catches Ayler at one of those transitional points in his career. It is also the only known recording of Ayler playing in his home town of Cleveland. As for La Cave itself, it's probably best known outside Cleveland for a 1968 bootleg recording of the Velvet Underground. The club was situated on Euclid Avenue, near the campus of Western Reserve University. I found this brief history on a Gordon Lightfoot site: "La Cave opened in 1962 in the University Circle area of Cleveland. It began as a coffeehouse folk club but eventually became a rock 'n' roll club. The site had been a chinese restaurant and bowling alley. La Cave was in the basement and had two hundred seats. In the club's early folk days, it presented Simon & Garfunkel, Buffy Sainte Marie, Judy Collins, Ian & Sylvia, and of course Gord Lightfoot. In the late '60's the club introduced Clevelanders to Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears, to name a few. Due to declining ticket sales, debt and legal issues, La Cave closed in 1969. The site is now part of University Hospitals of Cleveland." And this from a Velvet Underground site: "Located beneath the local social security offices.... La Cave's dimensions were 60'x125' with a seating capacity of 250-300... a dimly lit rectangle with burlap and church pews covering one long wall, the stage on the other, and tables in between. The stage was a platform 10 inch high with barely enough room for the Velvets stage gear." Richard Koloda reckons that the Albert Ayler Quintet was the only jazz band to appear at La Cave. Ayler's support act was a folk musician, Dick Wedler, whose only recollection of the event is that the audience were better dressed than usual. As far as the quality of the recording is concerned, I have no idea what to expect. Ayler asked a friend to tape the concerts so at least the recording was authorised and not just bootlegged by someone in the audience. Is it October yet?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted March 31, 2004 Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 Wow. This is great news! When I moved to Burton, Ohio in 1971 and began making moves towards the Cleveland cultural scene, the hip people were still talking about that club! (Though no one I was exposed to were talking about Ayler there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 31, 2004 Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 Whatever the cost will be, this is one box to get! Forget about this Spring, let's bring Autumn right away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 31, 2004 Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 Great news, thanks for sharing, Gary! ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphie_boy Posted March 31, 2004 Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 Gotta start saving for this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.