June 22, 2007: Albert Ayler’s Ghosts
This week we feature the music of tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler. A towering and enigmatic figure who made waves in the late 60s by taking the “free jazz” advances of Ornette Coleman even further out, Ayler’s music is actually as soulful and deep as it is intellectual or “out”. We’ll listen to tracks from several periods of his career, from his early days as an “inside” player, to his historic trio recordings with Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray, to his later work with larger groups.