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News from the darkest corners of the
musical universe:
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Thursday, November 08, 2007 ◦
Donald Ayler, a jazz trumpeter often lauded by critics and cognoscenti of free jazz, died of a heart attack in Northfield, Ohio, on Oct. 21. He was 65. Ayler, who was usually known as Don and was the younger brother of the late, legendary tenor and alto saxophonist Albert Ayler, never received the recognition enjoyed by his sibling-in fact, Donald left behind very few recordings as a leader-but his role in Albert's story is significant and he certainly had a following of own, albeit a relatively tiny one. He appeared with Albert on the saxist's essential recordings, including Bells (Calibre), Spirits Rejoice (ESP- Disk), In Greenwich Village (Impulse!) and Love Cry (Impulse!). Donald's composition "Our Prayer," which appears on both the Slug's recordings as well as the Greenwich Village sides, is considered one of the Albert Ayler Quintet's classic march-style pieces.
Donald Ayler was born in Cleveland on Oct. 5, 1942 and first played the alto sax. But he eventually switched to trumpet, studying at the Cleveland Institute, and then performed in a band with his cousin, baritone saxist Charles Tyler. That led to a position with Albert's band between the years of 1965 and '68. Albert's mysterious drowning death in 1970 devastated Donald, who faded from public view without ever having attained a fraction of the renown enjoyed by Albert, who has long been recognized as a leading free-jazz pioneer. Donald recorded a three-record set live in Italy in 1981 but it has long been out of print. Two leader tracks, "Prophet John" and "Judge Ye Not," surfaced in 2004 on the matchless Albert Ayler box set Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings, 1962-70.
(Source: Jazztimes.com)
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Sunday, November 04, 2007 ◦
Tito Puente Jr. will be performing with The Florida Orchestra on Nov. 15, 17 & 18, 2007. He will be on the second half of the concert.
The first half will concert will consist of the orchestra playing Latin-tinged orchestral numbers.
On the bill will be a seldom-performed Les Baxter composition, "Mai-Tai" from his Reprise album "Soul of the Drums." The Orchestra is playing the very arrangement that was used on the recording, courtesy of the Les Baxter Collection at the University of Arizona.
This will represent a rare opportunity to hear an authentic Les Baxter orchestral exotica arrangement performed live. If you're anywhere near the Tampa Bay area, we would urge you attend one of these performances and to CLAP LOUDLY. We cannot promise anything, but it is our sincere hope that this will open the door for a future Les Baxter-themed concert by The Florida Orchestra.
Incidentally, Tito Puente, Jr. plays his father's music and uses many of the charts from his Dad's book. The rest of the night should be a lot of fun also.
Go to www.floridaorchestra.org for details on the concert.
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