Albert Ayler, Saxophonist

Before there was Swans, before there was Les Rallizes Denudes, there was Albert Ayler. He pushed his saxophone to sound like wailing, torturous screaming and passionate love all at once. He emphasized freeness over convention.

Though he was reviled and misunderstood early on, now he has a cult fanbase. He is extreme music. The influential saxophonist is also the focus of Kasper Collin's 2005 film "My Name is Albert Ayler," which will be shown at the Alamo Drafthouse downtown tonight and Monday.

The film, though a documentary, is presented with a strong narrative feel. The movie begins with Edward Ayler, Albert's father, looking for his tombstone in a Cleveland cemetery. Edward is trying to find out who his son really was, which is the purpose of the film.

Clips from Ayler interviews between 1963 and 1970 are used to present the story. He talks about his childhood, his mother's overprotection, the women that would flock to him after concerts and, most importantly, that people will understand his music eventually.

The audio splices give the movie a great storytelling, as if Ayler is unfolding the details to his own life. The movie chronicles Ayler's initial rise in Stockholm through his infamous tenure in New York, where he was esteemed by John Coltrane and Don Cherry, concluding with Ayler's death by drowning in 1970.

One of the strongest aspects of the film is Collin's choice of interviewees. The people interviewed include surviving family members, former bandmates and photographers and label heads who worked with him. No sort of critic or superfan was interviewed. People such as those can say a lot of - there's no nice way around this - bullshit, and choosing those most closely associated with Ayler made the film more personal and heartfelt.

A striking example of this is when Sunny Murray, a drummer who frequently collaborated with Ayler, said that other free jazz saxophonists sounded too hard, but Ayler had love in his playing. Having played with him and experienced Ayler's technique full-on, there is no better testimony than that.

Collin also has a knack for making the visuals accompany the audio. In a scene describing Ayler's connection with the black power movement, his saxophone goes wild over a scene where an attack dog is unleashed. It is nearly a perfect complement.

Lots of the old archived footage has a dark tone, augmenting Ayler's mystique. The movie also has rare footage of Ayler performing, a treat for hardcore fans and the uninitiated alike.

Go see this film. Go buy Spiritual Unity. Absorb yourself in the beauty.

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