By Andy Beta, eMusic ContributorIn most other cultures, the beard is a sign of maturity, wisdom, an indicator of "yang" energy; but in America, the bearded are pushed to the fringe, to the brambled outskirts of a well-groomed, highly… more »
By Kevin Whitehead, eMusic ContributorESP-Disk' might be the most revered and reviled of historically important jazz labels: revered for the free/avant classics it issued; reviled for its business practices. The leader of one mid-1960s ESP date still has his… more »
By Charles Farrell, eMusic ContributorIn describing his music, the late tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler said, "It's not about notes; it's about feelings." Fellow tenor player Frank Wright was a contemporary of Ayler's, who lived in New York City at… more »
By Charles Farrell, eMusic ContributorBecause he lived only thirty-four years, virtually everything that Albert Ayler recorded has historical value. Much of his work was recorded live, often under less than optimal conditions, and Slug's Saloon Volume 2 falls into… more »
By Andy Beta, eMusic ContributorThere will come a day when Albert Ayler's visage will become as prevalent and defiant an image as that of Che. Call him a freedom fighter, a revolutionary, a firebrand, seeking the essence at the… more »
By Kevin Whitehead, eMusic ContributorIt wasn't easy, being the interracial Blue Notes in 1963 apartheid South Africa: a black horns-and-rhythm combo with a white pianist/music director, Chris McGregor. They skipped out of Cape Town the following year: went to… more »
By Mike McGonigal, eMusic ContributorIt's Halloween, which is the best holiday out of all the holidays that don't involve presents. On Halloween, everyone pretends to be afraid of ghosts, which are generally thought to be the spirits of dead… more »
By Kevin Whitehead, eMusic ContributorAlbert Ayler (1936-1970), at once the most basic and way-out of '60s free jazz saxophonists, came back in a big way with the release of Revenant's imposing nine-CD box of rarities, treasures and relics, Holy… more »
