"If People Don't Like It Now, They Will" -- The Albert Ayler Albums Poll

I know everybody's supposed to hate them (not as much as New Grass or Music Is The Healing Force..., but hate them nonetheless), but I like the live recordings from the last few months of his life, with Mary Maria, quite a bit. The ferocious gospelized thing really suited him.

I'm voting for Ghosts with Don Cherry. One of my favorite jazz records.

I'm torn between Love Cry (because it's his only studio recording with the untouchable Milford Graves) and Witches and Devils (because it's the starkest of his early-ish stuff).

unperson, which records are you talking about? That sounds great...

It's between Love Cry and New Grass for me. I ended up voting for Love Cry because it has an untouchable version of "Omega"--and it has all that harpsichord!

I fucking hate the harpsichord!

But probably love Love Cry nonetheless.

Spiritual Unity for me

Actually, I do remember the harpsichord being a bit sloppy on that album. But I love harpsichord by default.

I used to hate the (electric) harpsichord on Love Cry, but I've grown to like it. That said, probably my all-time favorite Ayler track is the one on there without the harpsichord, "Love Cry II."

BTW, since when is everybody supposed to hate New Grass? I thought it was well-regarded (just more R&B).

I know everybody's supposed to hate them (not as much as New Grass or Music Is The Healing Force..., but hate them nonetheless), but I like the live recordings from the last few months of his life, with Mary Maria, quite a bit. The ferocious gospelized thing really suited him.

-- unperson, den 19 februari 2008 21:12 (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

Funny, the two first Ayler albums i bought was Healing Force and New Grass. Can't say that I hate either one of them.

Must get Love Cry someday too. Love Milford Graves.

>unperson, which records are you talking about? That sounds great...

Live On The Riviera and Nuits De La Fondation Maeght. They're both fantastic.

ok cool thanks

I've been spinning the hell out of Bells lately, so that gets my vote.

Lorrach/Paris '66.

I would vote for New York Eye & Ear Control, but calling that an "Albert Ayler record" does it a great disservice.l

The following is taken from an interview with Michael Snow in the Austin Chronicle:

“AC: The soundtrack for NYE&EC is pretty legendary in the world of free jazz.

MS: Oh yes, it's by one of the most amazing free jazz groups. It's Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Sunny Murray, and Gary Peacock. I had just come across the music of these people, and I was completely knocked out. I had arrived in New York two years before, hoping that I was going to stop playing music and make it as a visual artist, try to get gallery shows and all that, which I did do. But running across all that music that was going on in New York at the time changed my plans! For me, there was an immediate connection between free jazz and New Orleans jazz, in which I had been previously involved, playing Louis Armstrong, Hot Five. But the point that I'd like to make is that, although I was very affected by all these great players, after a while I felt some differences of opinion with what they were doing in their sessions. They [the NYE&EC musicians] all used to play "heads," you know, a tune of some kind, and then a solo, and then "head" again, and I found myself disagreeing with that. When I had them come to the studio to record the soundtrack, I was careful to tell them that I didn't want any themes, but as much as possible ensemble playing. They accepted and they performed this way, but, in my opinion, this is one reason for which the music is so great. I mean, they're great, fantastic musicians, but they were stuck in that business of the statement of theme, alternating with solos. That's when I started working on my own music, which is what you'll hear with my trio, CCMC. Hmm, see, this is what happens, everything gets confused in these interviews!”

Got a link to the full interview?

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A73924

ha, thanks Hoos.

There's an entire book of Snow's work available online as an ebook! I found it while doing a search for the liner notes to The Last LP (one of my most hilarious jokes ever played on the record collecting public.)

Must get Love Cry someday too. Love Milford Graves.

i would go so far as to say that the holy ghost box is worth purchasing just for the live material with Graves (their set at the 1967 Newport festival and their piece at john coltrane's funeral).

live in greenwich village!

Yeah, I'm voting for Live In Greenwich Village. I haven't heard the records at the end of this list, but I've most of the ones earlier on, and Live In Greenwich Village is the one I want to come back to the most. Those songs are just so happy.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Live In Greenwich Village

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

If my Internets was working I'd have voted for Vibrations.

I had to go with Love Cry. It was the first Ayler I heard, and Milford Graves and Alan Silva are insanely mindblowing.