My Name Is Albert Ayler Screening Tonight In NYC

Just was made aware of this screening. If you're in NYC tonight and able to get up to Harlem, you have the ultra rare opportunity to catch a screening of My Name Is Albert Ayler. "Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin will be present for a Q&A," according to the email I received.

I saw this once in 2008 and it will forever stick with me. If abled to, I would grab any chance instanly to view this film again.

January 20th at 7.30pm.
Maysles Cinema
343 Lenox Avenue [between 127th & 128th]
(212) 582-6050

First Annual Albert Ayler Festival

New Yorkers have it made! With the addition of the Vision Festival going on now, the lucky bastards are also able to attend the First Annual Albert Ayler Festival in celebration of his 74th birthday anniversary. The likes of Giuseppi Logan, Charles Gayle, the Flow Trio, and notable others will be performing. The happening will take place July 10 at the Riverwalk Commons, Roosevelt Island, New York and AMAZINGLY, IT'S ALL FREE!!!

In celebration of the life and music of legendary free-jazz tenor-saxophonist Albert Ayler, ESP-Disk’ and Issue Project Room, in conjunction with Roosevelt L!ve have curated a day-long free concert, Saturday July 10th from 2-10pm, in honor of the groundbreaking musician’s 74th birthday. With performances by some of the most prolific artists dedicated to pushing the boundaries in the avant-jazz world the same way Ayler did over 40 years ago, this festival will feature sets from The New Atlantis Sextet with Marshall Allen, William Hooker, Charles Gayle, Gunter Hampel, Giuseppi Logan, and more all taking place at RiverWalk Commons on picturesque Roosevelt Island: NYC’s Best Kept Secret.

The outdoor festival will also feature a record fair with a variety of new and used vinyl vendors hosted by ESP-Disk’s own in-house retail operation, ESP Records. Great live music, a great selection of vinyl & CDs, great food from the local Roosevelt Island restaurants and a view of Manhattan that can’t be beat. What more could a music lover want on a summer day?
www.albertaylerfestival.com
www.esprecordstore.com

"Love Cry" - Albert Ayler

I love this record. It's significant in a number of ways. Here, we observe Don and Albert recording together for the last time. Shortly afterward, Don Ayler was fired from the group. According to a review by Al Campbell, this was under the insistence of the Impulse label. However, the documentary film, My Name Is Albert Ayler, portrayed an awkward relationship brewing between Don, Albert, and Mary Maria Parks; Ayler's girlfriend at the time and up until his death.

This recording session also represents the transition period in which Ayler began a more commercial aesthetic, which was also urged by the label. By no means, did his music ever seem totally commercial, or poppy for that matter, but to an Albert Ayler purest, it's a difference between black and white, night and day, sweet and salty -- you get the point.

For Albert Ayler virgins, it's a great entry point into his music. Sort of a step outside of his normal (or abnormal) ventures. Focusing on the melody of the compositions rather than the intense, volcanic eruptions that spew from his collective improvisations. There's still that feeling of free exploration and in the moment decision making. Really though, we hear how powerful, and beautiful these melodies are. The version of Ghosts really exemplifies this, and is one of my favorite Albert Ayler tracks in my iTunes. Alan Silva and Milford Graves back nicely, offering waves of percussion for Don and Albert to float on, and still maintaining a sophisticated, yet primal marching tone.

The harpsichord performed by Call Cobbs Jr. is hit or miss. I don't mind it myself, but I can understand why others may be put off by it. The harpsichord gives an added texture, but perhaps a piano or an organ would be best suited here. If the harpsichord isn't your bag, no worries, it's only heard on four of the tracks.
1967 - Impulse.
Albert Ayler - vocals, alto & tenor saxophones; Donald Ayler - trumpet; Call Cobbs - harpsichord; Alan Silva - bass; Milford Graves - drums.

"Slug's Saloon" - Albert Ayler

This is a beautiful set put on by Ayler's band. Often times I prefer his live recordings over his studio sessions because I think the lower produced quality add to the expressiveness of the music, but also because you can really hear more of what Ayler is feeling and how hard he and his band is playing.

Everyone plays here like it may be their last date. Michel Sampson's violin playing is out of this world and creates a wonderful relationship behind Albert's squeling. Ron Jackson frails on the drums giving you an artilary of rhythm and Albert's brother Donald plays like he is going to take off. With many reminders of the themes, the ensemble parts are nearly dead perfect, creating a balance between harmony and free improvising.

My favorite tune is Our Prayer, which Ayler incorporates marching band melodies (which I'm sure he got from his time in the military). He creates wonderful build-ups that are destroyed by controlled-chaotic (if that makes any sense), collective, free expressions. The album also features token composition like Bells, Ghosts, and Truth Is Marching In.

In the documentary, My Name Is Albert Ayler, drummer Sunny Murray stated that Albert "played with love," and that couldn't be more apparent than in these cuts.
1966 - ESP Disk.
Albert Ayler - Tenor Saxophone; Donald Ayler - Trumpet; Ron Jackson - Percussion; Lewis Worrell - Bass; Michael Sampson - Violin.

"My Name Is Albert Ayler"

For the last year, Albert Ayler has been very important and influential to me. I was super excited to see My Name Is Albert Ayler, a film by Kasper Colling that the NW Film Center showed as part of their Reel Music Festival.

It mainly follows his brother, Donald, and his father, Edward. The filmmaker also travels abroad and interviews friends and old girlfriends from when Ayler spent time in northern Europe. This showed different opinions and perspectives offering unique ways of understanding Ayler as a person, but also show how he influenced everyone on different levels. Some of the best parts are interviews and phone conversations with the drummer Sunny Murray. He, very charismatically, shared stories of Albert and Donald. Murray talked about the tonal quality of Aylers playing with how he could expand on one note and get so much out of it. "Albert played it with love," is how Sunny referred to Albert playing his horn.

I was surprised that the story didn't focus on so much of the religious or spiritual concepts of Albert, but instead focused on his relationship with his brother and Maria Parks. They continue with how Albert began to be isolated, whether he was causing it or Parks, and how his brother was pushed out of the band, and leading to Donald's nervous breakdown and ultimately ending with Albert's death in 1970.

The Third aspect of the film was taken from audio interviews with Albert, and you hear his own voice, hauntingly over footage, music, and photographs. It leaves you with wonderful insight into his concepts and ideas. My favorite was when he was talking about playing at Coltrane's funeral and he said, "How could I do that, how could I play crying."

2005, Directed by Kasper Collin

My Name Is Albert Ayler

Please visit mynameisalbertayler.com and try and catch a screening if this film. For those local Portlanders, the NW Film Center is hosting a screening as part of their Reel Music 2008 program at the Portland Art Museum on January 22nd. I will most likely post again after the screening.
Directed by Kasper Collin