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Albert Ayler
American musician
Quick Facts
- Notable Works:
- “Bells”
- “Ghosts”
- “Spirits Rejoice”
Albert Ayler (born July 13, 1936, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.—died November 1970, New York, New York) was an American tenor saxophonist whose innovations in style and technique were a major influence on free jazz. As a boy, Ayler studied saxophone with his father, with whom he played duets in church. In his mid-teens he played in rhythm-and-blues bands, and as a young alto saxophonist in Cleveland, he mastered the bebop style and repertoire. He began playing tenor saxophone in U.S. Army bands (1958–61), after which his playing became increasingly distant from standard harmonic practices. His first commercial recording, with Danish musicians ...(100 of 320 words)