Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Albert Ayler is a Holy Ghost, the most Holy-O of Ghosts, and Archie Shepp and Frank Zappa???!!!

Albert Ayler 1970...awesome fro!! from web linked in blogAlbert Ayler: Holy Ghost - Rare and Unissued Recordings 1962-1970 (2004) *****
Albert Ayler is going absolutely insane on my stereo...listening to disc 3 of the 9 (fucking 9!!!!) cd set from Revenant Records, the record label founded by John Fahey. This is the same label that released Captain Beefheart: Grow Fins 1965-1982 (1999) 5 cd box set.

This is awesome, jaw-dropping stuff from an incredible innovator.

No more needs to be said. Except maybe about how cool his fu-manchu was!
Albert Ayler web site.
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actually...maybe more does need to be said!!!!!!!!
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A L B E R T
A Y L E R


CAPSULE BIO

1936: Born Cleveland, OH
1951: Joined his first group, Lloyd Pearson and his Counts of Rhythm.
1956: Due to lack of money, he left college and joined the army
1962-1963: After his discharge spent time in Sweden and Denmark. First recordings.
1963: Worked with Cecil Taylor in New York.
1964: He still relied on his parents and John Coltrane for financial support!?
1964-1967: Considered his peak. Really?? Maybe.
1964: "Spiritual Unity" is released. Considered his breakthrough album.
1965: "Spirits Rejoice" released. Harvey Dog has a strong desire to purchase this album.
1968: "New Grass" released. His sell-out album. I love it!
1970: Died New York, NY drowned in mysterious circumstances. Um...White America?
2004: "Holy Ghost: Rare and Unissued Recordings 1962-1970" 9 cd set released.
2006: Harvey Dog is now freaking out on disc 4 of "Holy Ghost".

SIMILAR ARTISTS

I would place Albert in the same musical category as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp. Fucking geniuses one and all.

Zappa Shepp 1967 magazine cover

[aside: ever heard Shepp play with Frank Zappa?
It happened.
It's awesome.
It's on Frank Zappa: You Can't Do That on Stage, Vol. 4. (1991) ****
The song: "Let's Move to Cleveland Solos (1984)"
The year was 1984 in the month of November.
Location: Fine Arts Center Concert Hall in Amherst, Massachusetts
Best songs on album: "Let's Move to Cleveland Solos (1984)" "The Torture Never Stops Original Version"]

[2nd aside: Albert Ayler is absolutely freaking me out. This music is incredible!!! "Untitled" disc 4 song 6 is
causing my mind to
do...

weird things.]

[3rd aside: Poobah doesn't seem to like it
when I use her bone
as a microphone.]

MORE LINKS

Albert Ayler: His Life and Music - by Jeff Schwartz This is a book. Seriously. I only started surfing for Albert Ayler sites, um...today, and I need to find the energy to read this. [aside: fucking depression]

Albert Ayler Discography Project: Exactly what it says it is. Nothing fancy, but loads of discographical info.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost: Page from Revenant describing the box.

There's actually a documentary on Albert Ayler! My Name is Albert Ayler. I have to get this on dvd!!!

FAMOUS QUOTE

"Trane was the Father...Pharoah was the son...I am the Holy Ghost."
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Archie Shepp and Zappa...never seen or heard of that before!

Harvey Dog said...

I know! I had never heard of this before until I purchased "You Can't Do That On Stage Vol. 4" and it was on disc 1. Live from 1984. It sounds great! Then I found this poster from 1967 on the net with them sitting together, and it's perplexed me even more. What next? Did they secretly record a few albums together? Soon to be released??? I wish...