The New Jazz Musings

Jazz Monthly in February 1968 had a five page article on Albert Ayler and "The New Thing" in music, defending avante-garde jazz and Albert Ayler, no doubt to still conservative jazz fans in the late 60s. The first section of the article is below. I'll follow up with the remainder in future blogs. Albert Ayler—Conservative Revolution? W.A. BALDWIN It is when we come to the work of the rhythm section that we find a little more in the way of real innovation. Even here however there has been considerable exaggeration of the amount of innovation which has actually taken place. One cannot help suspecting that some critics regard it as their obligation to find new developments even where none exists: how else are we to explain all these references to the elimination of the distinction between the rhythm section and the front line ? We are assured that it is now difficult to say who is accompanying whom, that the rhythm section now occupies a position of equality with...

IMP-1972 University Series of Fine Recordings In 1969 Bob Thiele left Impulse to be replaced by Ed Michel. At this point Impulse could have dramatically changed, but sensibly, Ed continued in the same vein as Bob. He continued to promote John Coltrane's legacy, continued to record the existing 'New Music' artists and signed some new artists. When Steve Backer joined Impulse in 1972 as Head of Promotions he brought his Pop and Rock promotional experience to bear, and recognised that Impulse artists were popular on college campuses. He decided to build on this including the creation of an Impulse artists package tour in April 1972. It kicked off at the Fenway Theatre in Boston, followed by six college dates : University of Rhode Island, Kingston (8th), Clark University, Worcester Mass (9), University of Mass (10), Brown University, Providence (14), Thornton Academy, Sacco Maine (15) and Yale University, New Haven (16). Pharaoh Sanders, Alice Coltrane and Michael White f...

Albert Ayler New Grass When Albert Ayler released New Grass in 1968, his attempt to move in a new direction pretty much failed. His message on the first track of New Grass seemed genuine. Impulse had signed Ayler towards the end of a previous phase in his career and he was moving in a new direction, fusing his saxophone dynamics and sounds with R&B and (limited) Rock. Below is a review of New Grass by Larry Neal in The Cricket (Black Music in Evolution) magazine/fanzine from 1969. The Cricket was a highly influential Black culture publication and the same edition included an article written by Ayler. Ouch ! This must have hurt, but it was a genuine review and appeal to Ayler by Larry Neal. Neal suggested Impulse were driving Ayler in this more crossover and commercial direction. I don't believe this was the case. Bob Thiele was still at Impulse in 1968 and his only interest in crossover was recording two generations of jazz artists together. NEW GRASS/ALERT AYLER ...

Pharoah Sanders The Cricket was a short-lived "Black Music in Evolution" magazine/fanzine created in 1968 by Amiri Baraka, Larry Neal and AB Spellman. It ran until 1969. Larry Neal wrote an "out-there" review of Sanders' record, Karma in 1969. Needless to say, he loved it. In the same edition, Larry Neal also reviewed New Grass from Albert Ayler. That record was most definitely slated; "the rhythm on this album is shitty" and "this album is a failure". To be honest, it's hard to disagree since Ayler's new direction did not work. I'll post the New Grass review in a future blog. karma/PHAROAH SANDERS The temple had a round spiraling dome and I stood with my father's spirit listening to Pharoah cascade through alcoves and spectrums of light; and yes the light came in many colors, the black shatterings full released, some under spirits churning too. My father had never heard Pharoah in his time so he wept upon hearing him,...

Jazz Magazine Poster 1962 When Coltrane first came to France in 1960 with Miles Davis, French audiences were expecting sweet and romantic solos from Coltrane, but they got broken notes, tortured arpeggios and aggravated variations instead. The stubborn stammering of someone unable to master his instrument. So says the French Jazz Magazine from January 1962 in an eight page Coltrane special, including a two page poster. He also got the front page and a full page ad placed for Africa/Brass. The editorial is spread across three writers, the first appears to be an interview after a French performance. In this section Coltrane describes, for example, his difficulties in finding suitable reeds. They take a month to be perfect then only operate for a couple of days in peak condition. It also describes his introspective personality, for example him not wanting to eat in a restaurant, preferring to buy two apples and eat alone in his hotel room. The full article has been "roughly...