Nicole Glover April 10, 2011 Jazz History

FREE JAZZ CONCEPTIONS

In the 1960s, avant-garde jazz was beginning to blossom due to the creative energies of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, and many others. It was a new, exciting music that allowed these musicians to explore new creative outlets. There were a number of extramusical elements that contribute to the creation of this music. Drug use, which was already a staple in jazz culture, political consciousness, social status, spirituality, and adversity allowed these musicians to stretch the boundaries of normalcy and create avant-garde jazz. Drugs have been prevalent throughout the entire history of jazz, and free jazz is no exception. One may argue that drugs, especially psychedelics, had a very powerful influence on this music in particular. Some musicians, such as John Coltrane and Albert Ayler, had been experimenting with LSD for spiritual means (in addition to other drugs). Both of these musicians also had very spiritual qualities to their music for Trane, music was a spiritual outlet. His religious beliefs were the driving force between many of the records during his avant-garde period, such as A

Love Supreme, Om, Ascension, Meditations. Albert Ayler, one of jazzs most tortured figures, endured endless criticism from friends and family, lost his brother to insanity (that he himself felt responsible for), and was ultimately found dead in the East River. Ayler also used LSD with his brother, Donald Ayler, whom Albert had mentored. During this time Donald suffered a nervous breakdown (which would lead to psychosis) and Albert claimed to have seen a strange object in the sky. Although it cannot be proven that LSD directly caused these events, one can reasonably assume that there was a correlation. He was manically depressed. In the documentary My Name is Albert Ayler, Ayler talked about how music was the only thing he really could feel, and he played what he felt. He was able to find solace and comfort in his music. He was hurt and confused by what critics of his music had to say, but that only motivated him further to explore new territories in music. Experiments with hallucinogenic drugs helped propel his music down a more spiritual path. He once referred to himself as the Holy Ghost, with John Coltrane being the Father and Pharaoh Sanders being the Son. His album Spiritual Unity reflects this. Many of his songs had written poems or prayers to accompany them. Other free jazz musicians were very politically conscious, which was reflected in their music. During the 1960s when avant-garde jazz was beginning to spread through the country, the Civil Rights Movement was in full force, which greatly impacted the musicians. For these musicians, free jazz was a means to reject musical rules and conventions that restricted musical expression, as well as abolishing the hierarchy within

a group. This gave more emphasis on individual expression. Archie Shepp is an example of a socially conscious musician, whose passion for civil rights helped generate a passion behind his music. He had song titles such as Malcolm, Malcolm Semper Malcolm. [Europe] saw me as a spokesperson for the avant-garde because I tended to articulate some of the political frustrations that black people felt in America at the time, vis-a-vis people like Martin Luther King and organizations like the Black Muslims says Shepp. "Free jazz is anti-war; it is opposed to [U.S. military intervention in] Vietnam; it is for Cuba; it is for the liberation of all people." He also believes that to play avant-garde music, one must be really saying something or telling a story. Charles Mingus was another civil rights activist. His composition Fables of Faubus is perhaps his most explicitly political work. The song was written as a direct protest against an Arkansas governor who sent the National Guard out to prevent racial integration of a school. The song contains lyrics such as Nazi Fascist Supremists! and Faubus, Eisenhower, Rockefeller, why are these men so sick and ridiculous?. Mingus was also very sensitive about his racial background, which added fuel to his fire. Although one might take Archie Shepps standpoint that free jazz and black nationalism were intertwined (and there is evidence to suggest this), one cannot ignore the influence that Western classical music also had on free jazz. The movement towards atonal music was an important precursor to the development of jazz, and cannot be ignored. Additionally, the first historical free jazz recording was made by Lennie Tristano in the 1950s.

Perhaps one of the strongest elements that contributed to free jazz was dissatisfaction with the conventional restrictions of bebop and, in some cases, dissatisfaction with lifes circumstances. The two can be intertwined with one another. For example, Anthony Braxton was homeless, Sun Ra had a hernia, which left him in a state of constant pain, and Don Cherry suffered from hepatitis. Health or societal factors such as these contribute greatly to ones desire to express themselves further than bebop can allow. As Ornette once said, lets play the music and not the background, referring to the general framework of jazz improvisation which had become the standard at that point in time. Cecil Taylor was unpleased with the mantra of imitate, assimilate, innovate, saying I discovered very early that it wasn't quite enough for me to imitate people. For people such as Cecil Taylor, who wanted to find and speak his voice from the beginning, the conventions of bebop could not necessarily do justice the liberations and freedoms that avant-garde music could hold. In the avant-garde, there are infinite ways that the music could take shape. For others, like Anthony Braxton, who had suffered hardships that most people were unfamiliar with, it was probably more desirable to be able to experience that release and freedom that avant-garde jazz could provide due to its flexibilities as a music. Free jazz was an important innovation that lead to generations of improvisers who were influenced by the music. Not only was it being played by free jazz pioneers of the 50s and 60s, but its impact continues to flourish today by artists such as Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Jason Moran, Steve Lehman, and many more. The appeal of absolute

freedom to express oneself musically has enticed many different musicians. As long as this universal desire continues to manifest itself, the music will not die. Because of the free jazz movement of the 1960s, improvised music will continue to grow and musicians will continue to push the boundaries farther. Although the extramusical factors contributing to todays music are not exactly the same, there are undeniably many similarities drug use, dissatisfaction with modern culture or politics, spirituality, and more. Improvised music will continue to live on, perpetuated by musicians who need and desire more out of musical experiences than bebop can provide.