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“People are going to the moon. It’s time for music to change too,” is the introduction and explanation of “Free Music, as interpreted by Albert Ayler, recently returned from a musical tour of the Scandinavian countries, who brought with him a totally new departure in jazz music to the Cleveland area.
“Free music is a new blues, the new truth as seen by musicians who want to take a modernistic view. . . geometric shapes and forms conveyed musically,” are further definitions of this new idea in music, according to Ayler.
Another innovation seen in this new trend of tonal expression is, that unlike its many predecessors, from Dixieland jazz to the more recent, cool school, “it is based on an integrated theory, white people can play it too,” Ayler stated.
It’s remembered that for years, Negro jazz exponents cried long and loud, that jazz was something totally Negroid in its conception and white jazz artists were regarded as lightly as any other joke. The joke ended however, when audiences, and in time, more and more of the jazz ilk, accepted the whites as an integral and talented part of the whole jazz structure.
Ayler’s “geometric shapes and forms” idea is accepted wryly by local musicians who emphatically oppose “Free Music” and add: “It’s mostly just a lot of squawks, noises and unconnected notes.”
This “in left field attitude” taken by the local musicians does not discourage Ayler’s persuance of the new jazz form. But because he is meeting with almost mass opposition here, he contemplates leaving Cleveland for New York, where he feels the acceptance will be greater. --!!-- An impressive list of notables who have accepted this new, adventurous departure Christened by Ornette Coleman, largely self-taught alto saxophonist, would include Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor.
The nay side of the roster would rack-up the impressive Adderley Brothers, Julian and Nat; along with Horace Silver and Art Blakey, who all display a relatively free-wheeling style. Nevertheless they all shy away from accepting this new expression in toto.
Coleman, who initiated the advance guard in this new jazz element in 1959, is held in high regard by Ayler, a native Clevelander, whose background in the entire music industry is similar to Coleman’s. He is also mostly self-taught with some experience gained from playing with U.S. Army bands and the John Adams High School band, where he graduated in 1955.
Also like Coleman, who was briefed in the music field by a music-teaching cousin, Ayler’s basic influence was provided by his father, Edward, who had done some semi-pro work around town with local bands in his youth.
Though more than 75% of the musicians today view the new concept in musical expression as they would a horror scene from Macbeth, many do admit that there is certainly a place for this “Free Music” idea. In the same breath, however, they voice the question. . . where?
This same 75% credit Ornette Coleman with a great amount of talent that is becoming more and more of a question mark.
In any case, whether 75% of the jazz kingdom chooses to ignore this concept and expression found in “Free Music,” it is a fast growing influence on an old horizon.
It must be agreed that as discordant as “Free Music” is touted to be, it is the first new idea since Charlie Parker dominated the jazz scene 20 years ago.
As Ayler says, “It is undeniably time for a change, but you have to be ready for it.
“Everybody’s not. Some people don’t want to be FREE.” Back to Articles |
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