Albert Ayler

[R_of_G]

Those of you looking for new techniques for melodic and harmonic phrasing, have any of you ever listened to any of saxpophonist Albert Ayler? If not, check him out. Among the originators of "free jazz" along with Ornette Coleman, Coltrane, and Sun Ra, Ayler's work, possibly more than anyone else, shows how a melody line can be deconstructed and rephrased in an almost endless fashion. His improvisational style is a HUGE influence both on my own playing, and that of a large number of players I love. Often shrouded in misconception [that "free jazz" is just random guys playing randomly], Ayler's music takes some getting used to at first, but once you "get it," it is hard to not listen to him for any period of time.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Those of you looking for new techniques for melodic and harmonic phrasing, have any of you ever listened to any of saxpophonist Albert Ayler? If not, check him out. Among the originators of "free jazz" along with Ornette Coleman, Coltrane, and Sun Ra, Ayler's work, possibly more than anyone else, shows how a melody line can be deconstructed and rephrased in an almost endless fashion. His improvisational style is a HUGE influence both on my own playing, and that of a large number of players I love. Often shrouded in misconception [that "free jazz" is just random guys playing randomly], Ayler's music takes some getting used to at first, but once you "get it," it is hard to not listen to him for any period of time.
I love Ayler & you're singing my song by mentioning Sun Ra.

Space *Is* the Place

but most of my listening has come before I ever picked up an ax & I'm not yet good enough to try to incorporate this stuff into my playing.

Sh!t! I'm not even good enough if I have simple music written out in front of me. ;)

[R_of_G]

I love Ayler & you're singing my song by mentioning Sun Ra.

Space *Is* the Place

but most of my listening has come before I ever picked up an ax & I'm not yet good enough to try to incorporate this stuff into my playing.

Sh!t! I'm not even good enough if I have simple music written out in front of me. ;)

space is indeed the place and sun ra is the man. it's funny, a lot of people consider the roots of punk rock to come from the MC5, the Stooges and the NY Dolls, all of whom I love. However, I'd say a lot of what the MC5 was doing comes more from Sun Ra, Coltrane, Ayler, Miles [spec. with Sonny Sharrock] and Ornette Coleman [specifically the stuff with James "Blood" Ulmer on guitar] than it does from any previous forms of rock. Punk bands like DNA, Television, Marc Ribot, the Minutemen, have their roots in whatever you want to call it, "free jazz" or punk jazz, or "the new music" as ornette called it. Certainly, those guys are at the foudation of my playing.