The Holy Ghost of Free Jazz

 Holy Ghost: The Life and Death of Free Jazz Pioneer Albert Ayler

Albert Ayler:  Photographer uncredited, but the photo was almost certainly taken by Chuck Stewart (1927–2017), . Published by ABC/Impulse! Records., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Poster for the Albert Ayler Festival by Rockcreek CC BY NC-SA 2.0

I first learned about Albert Ayler from Lou Reed. I think it was either in Please Kill Me or the writings of Lester Bangs that Reed explains how Ayler’s The Bells motivated him to record some more experimental works, particularly Metal Machine Music, an album with which I became fascinated. At the time, it was hard to find Ayler’s stuff on CD. Impulse hadn’t rereleased the double album featuring live recordings from the Village Vanguard, and so I think that the first album I found from him was Witches and Devils. I was excited to listen to it, at the time seeking out more and more experimental jazz music. I loved Coletrane’s experimental and exploratory sounds, as well as saxophonists like Ornette Coleman. I hadn’t discovered Frank Wright, Frank Lowe, or Giusippi Logan (or much of ESP disc for that matter), but I was eager to explore. I will never forget the feeling of disorientation that overcame me as I listened to Ayler for the first time. It wasn’t quite nausea, but a kind of imbalance—like a sense of feeling dizzy, maybe like vertigo, as I listened to the lilting wailing of Ayler’s saxophone. I had to shut it off after about 10 minutes or so. It was too much. I somewhat understood what Lou Reed meant when he said he wanted to bring Ayler to rock music. It was a moving experience, and one that only happened a handful of times that I listened to music. Thus, Koloda’s book about Ayler was a welcome edition since there aren’t many books that explore and examine this iconic and experimental performer in American jazz. Furthermore, there are so many myths and mysteries surrounding Ayler’s life and death, I was eager to learn more about him. Koloda’s book does not disappoint, and traces Ayler’s life from growing up in Cleveland, learning music in clubs there, and eventually leaving the US to practice and learn Jazz in Europe, which had a profound effect on his style and themes in music. While not as technically gifted as other saxophonists like Coltrane and Coleman, Ayler brought his own unique approach to the instrument, becoming an influential player through his emotional approach and the brutality of the notes he played—I mean brutality in the kind of powerful violence he brought to some of his playing, not necessarily ugly. I really enjoyed learning more about Ayler’s experiences in Europe, but it was also sad to see that no one really got him or that his opportunities for success and exposure to wider audience were always kind of dashed. After reading this book, I’m not sure if this was due to the lack of a marketable audience who was ready for Ayler’s unique voice and musical approach or that Ayler also kind of undermined his opportunities by not playing the game or appealing to more popular sentiments. It seems like it could be a combination of both as Koloda indicates that Ayler was absent from some of his other responsibilities, including fatherhood and marriages. Although not perfect as a man, Ayler is an important musician who reinterpreted music in his own unique voice, challenging our ideas of Jazz and reinterpreting the avant garde. I really enjoyed reading about Ayler’s later experiences and albums, since some of those albums on Impulse are my favorites. After growing to appreciate some of his earlier works, I really love Music is the Healing Force of the Universe, even if this is a kind of divisive album. This and Love Cry always confused me because they are so different from his earlier work, but reading this book helped me understand the changing trajectory of Ayler’s work and how his expanded musical influences and collaborators led to these outcomes (although I’m not so sure about New Grass which I don’t really like and was rather disappointed with). I still don’t understand what happened with Ayler’s death, although Koloda offers some insight. Sadly it seems like the lack of opportunities and professional success may have combined with some lingering mental illness, possibly schizophrenia, and led to Ayler’s death at 34. In interviewing his brother, Donald Ayler, who also collaborated, played with and adopted Albert’s playing style to trumpet, we get a sense that there may have been some likelihood that mental illness may have been a part of their family. However, despite the tragic ending, I think that Koloda’s book champions one of the most unique and underappreciated voices in American avant garde jazz, and helps to contextualize Ayler’s influence in not just jazz, but other genre pushing artists. Glad that Koloda wrote this great book on Ayler.