CHARLES GAYLE Repent 1992 *I presented Charles Gayle twice in the 1990s. Once at Trappers Alley in Greektown and at 1515 Broadway. He was a joy to work with and played some of the finest FREE JAZZ I have ever heard. AMG Artist Biography by Chris Kelsey Charles Gayle made his first significant impact on the free jazz scene with a series of critically acclaimed New York performances at the Knitting Factory in the mid- to late 80s. The tenor saxophonists hyper-kinetic free expressionism draws on stylistic devices pioneered in the 60s by the late free jazz icon Albert Ayler. Like Ayler, Gayle employs a huge tone which, more often than not, he splits into its individual harmonic components. Timbral distortion is a key aspect of Gayles work. His improvisations feature long, vibrating, free-gospel melodies, full of huge intervallic leaps, screaming multiphonics, and a density of line that evidences a remarkable dexterity in all registers of his horn (especially the altissimo). Gayle is also capable of great lyricism, imbued with the same bracing intensity present in his high-energy work. Gayle began playing music at the age of nine. Except for a couple of years of piano lessons as a child, he was self-taught. Piano was his first and only instrument until he picked up a saxophone when he was 19. He listened to jazz as a teenager in the 50s. Gayle was intrigued by bebop; hearing Charlie Parker was a crucial experience. Gayle attempted to learn conventional harmony by analyzing sheet music and working things out on a piano. African-American church services had an profound effect on his music. Gayle moved from Buffalo to New York City in the 60s, where he became involved in the citys nascent free jazz movement. Gayle reportedly taught a jazz course at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1969, where one of his students was the saxophonist Jay Beckenstein. There is at least one account of Gayle playing with drummer Rashied Alis group around 1973, but little else is known about his activities during this period (he is not inclined to go into details when asked by interviewers about his past). Gayle took to playing his horn on the streets and in the subways, relying on donations from passers-by for income. Gayle lived a mainly precarious existence for the next twenty years. He was poor and homeless most of that time. Following his discovery in the 80s, gigs and tours coordinated by the Knitting Factory began to earn him a modest, if relatively steady income. Still, Gayle scuffled, though he was eventually able to rent a small apartment on New Yorks Lower East Side. In 1988, Gayle recorded a series of albums for the Swedish-based Silkheart label. Their release in 1990 gave his music worldwide exposure. Subsequent recordings for Black Saint, FMP, and the Knitting Factory house label garnered him more of a reputation. In the 90s, Gayle took to performing on piano and bass clarinet in basically the same style that he displays on tenor, though the latter clearly remains his strongest instrument. Gayles preferred ensemble instrumentation usually consists of himself, a bassist, and a drummer. His concerts are almost wholly improvised, and a single improvisation can last the length of a set. By the turn of the millennium, Gayles concerts had taken on aspects of performance art. Gayle began dressing as a character he called Streets the Clown, complete with costume and face paint, whereupon he would perform his music and preach a religious message to his audience. Indeed, Gayles in-concert expressions of his religious and political views are a source of dismay to some critics and fans, and threaten at times to overshadow his music. AMG Review by Ron Wynn There is absolutely no one playing tenor (or any other saxophone) coming close to making the kind of music created by Charles Gayle. While its reminiscent of Albert Aylers energetic, twisting 1960s free dates, Gayles saxophone acrobatics and stamina are astonishing. This two-song CD was recorded live and features one number that runs 23 minutes; its the short tune. Jesus Christ and Scripture, the second piece, proceeds for over 50 minutes, much of that featuring Gayles honks, bleats, turnarounds, moans, and anguished cries on tenor. After listening closely to this disc, its lack of repetition and gimmickry is commendable. Its certainly not for all (or even most tastes), but those who listen fairly and intently to Charles Gayle will be rewarded.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 10:22:51 +0000
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