Song:Truth Is Marching In
Album:The Impulse Story
During the 1960s, there was a constant firestorm of debate about free jazz usually from traditionalists who didn't like it. Sax player Albert Ayler was at the center of the controversy. Unfortunately Ayler died prematurely so is somewhat forgotten. This Impulse Story comp sums up his musical career. It is not recommended to newcomers. He was born July 13, 1936 in Cleveland. He learned alto sax as a child and began playing professionally in a band with blues harmonica legend Little Walter. So he started out as an R & B honker. This all changed when Ayler moved to Sweden in 1962 and started jamming with avant garde piano legend Cecil Taylor. This led to Ayler returning to the US in 1964 and forming a band with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray and a contract with ESP-Disk Records. Ayler grew up in church so his music had that spiritual fervor but the criticism was that he was too out of control. John Coltrane didn't think so and got Ayler a contract with Impulse in 1966. But Ayler's music never found a wide audience and after Coltrane's 1967 death, things seemed to unravel for Ayler especially after his brother Donald suffered a nervous breakdown. Truth Is Marching In is from Live In Greenwich Village which is probably one of Ayler's most accessible recordings. Impulse released a 2CD expanded edition in 1998. His later recordings didn't seem to have that same fervor. Albert Ayler disappeared on Nov. 5, 1970 and then his body was found in New York City's East River on Nov. 25 of an apparent suicide at age 34. There was some speculation about his death but his girlfriend said Ayler was depressed over his brother's problems and had threatened suicide. She tried to dissuade him but he jumped off the Statue Of Liberty ferry. Albert Ayler is somewhat of a cult figure among jazz musicians and there's even a documentary about him called My Name Is Albert Ayler. Of course there's no video footage of Albert Ayler but here's a clip from the documentary Inside Out In The Open that puts Ayler and free jazz in context.
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