"My Name Is Albert Ayler"

[AntManBee]

This Albert Ayler documentary will be screened at the Gothenburg Film Festival in early February. I got my ticket today and I look forward to it very very much!

[JaSt]

Is that Kasper Collin's documentary - at last?

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by JaSt

Is that Kasper Collin's documentary - at last?

Yes. I seem to remember it was supposed to be screened at the Perspectives festival last year. Did it ever happen?

[JaSt]

Originally Posted by AntManBee

Yes. I seem to remember it was supposed to be screened at the Perspectives festival last year. Did it ever happen?

No, to Mats' and many other visitors dissepointment.

[AntManBee]

I just came home from the first public screening of "My Name Is Albert Ayler". I suppose the reason why it wasn't shown at Perspectives 2004 is as simple as it wasn't finished at the time. Before tonight's screening, we were informed that director Kasper Collin was actually up late last night to hopefully finish it, but he still have to do some work on sub- and end titles. In case there were reviewers in the audience, they were therefore asked not to review the film but wait until the real première in March. Since I'm not a movie critic and this is a more informal forum, I want to share my impressions.

I'm sorry to say that the film disappointed me. It could use a little more polishing than just the subtitles. The film seems patchy, with too many irrelevant scenes and uneven pacing. For instance, including one or two former Ayler sidemen with headphones on humming and nodding to the music would be OK I suppose, but five (or how many it was) is overdoing it. Especially since some of them didn't say anything in particular. They just hummed and nodded their heads.

The sound balance between talk and music is sometimes annoying too, especially when there's music in the background to phone interviews with Sunny Murray.

Using the same footage of Ayler over and over again all through the film seems pointless, especially given that the live segments are consequently cut short by interviews that not always are examples of excellent music journalism. With a duration of only 75 minutes, I wish that Collin would have had a more finely tuned dramaturgic sense.

I don't question Collin's sincere intentions and appreciation of Ayler's music, but those qualities don't automatically mean that he's the right person to make a documentary.

The most interesting parts were probably those about Don and the relation between him and Albert. And Sunny Murray seems like a nice fellow.

One could always argue that I should be happy there's an Ayler documentary at all, and yes, I am the first to welcome one. I only wish it would have been less amateurish, and with "My Name Is Albert Ayler" soon out there, I suspect it will take a good while before someone else attempt to portray Ayler's genius in sound and vision.

Kasper Collin was there for a public discussion after the screening. Maybe that revealed a few things regarding the disposition of the current copy, but I must admit I didn't attend the hearing. Maybe I should see it again when it's released in March, but I can't say I'm very eager to do it.

[likewise]

Thank you for the sneak review, Ant(onin). I had big hopes for this one at Perspectives, was disappointed to see it dropped. Your views bring my expectations for the movie's release here - March/April I think - down to a much healthier level. Will still see it, for sure.

But what I'd really like to hear is the story behind Ayler playing a few gigs in my small & embarrassingly unhip home town Vaasa back in June 1962! - And btw, did you know that Herbert Katz, the Finnish guitarist who led Ayler's first recording session (now released as a part of "Holy Ghost"), today lives in Gothenburg? Now, there's someone to interview!

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by likewise

Thank you for the sneak review, Ant(onin). I had big hopes for this one at Perspectives, was disappointed to see it dropped. Your views bring my expectations for the movie's release here - March/April I think - down to a much healthier level. Will still see it, for sure.

Yeah, I think you should see it and get your own personal opinion on it. Lowering your expectations is a good idea for sure - my anticipations were pretty high.

Originally Posted by likewise

But what I'd really like to hear is the story behind Ayler playing a few gigs in my small & embarrassingly unhip home town Vaasa back in June 1962!

I can't remember much being said about that. They talked a fair bit about his early Stockholm dates though.

And btw, did you know that Herbert Katz, the Finnish guitarist who led Ayler's first recording session (now released as a part of "Holy Ghost"), today lives in Gothenburg? Now, there's someone to interview!

No, I had no idea! Yeah, that's definitely a good idea for an interview. Do you know what he's working with here?

I only recently found out that Peter Uuskyla works in the public library in town too.

[likewise]

AFAIK, the man's not involved in music making anymore. At 75, he may simply be living in some old folks' home in Gothenburg. Still, it would be nice to hear his account of the proceedings. - Heikki Annala's (Katz's bass player) memory of having Ayler in the band is pretty amusing: "He played horribly loud and with such an ugly sound."
Talk about interplay...

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by likewise

AFAIK, the man's not involved in music making anymore. At 75, he may simply be living in some old folks' home in Gothenburg. Still, it would be nice to hear his account of the proceedings.

Certainly! Likewise - thanks for the tip!

[JaSt]

Thank you AntManBee for the information!
It’s disappointing to hear that the film still seams to be unfinished after so many years.
The Stockholm opening date was said to be at the end of February but now you mention March/April ……… one wonders.
By the way, I wonder if Herbert Katz is still around?

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by JaSt

It’s disappointing to hear that the film still seams to be unfinished after so many years.

Do you know when he started working on it and why it has taken so long? I suspect insufficient funds are one plausible reason.

What I wonder (and could have asked him if I had stayed for the discussion) is how much material he actually had to choose from, both new and archival. There are a lot of stills used in the movie and blurry landscape footage from the 60s, plus the aforementioned footage of Ayler used several times throughout the film. It almost seems that he hadn't enough material to work with.

Another thing that might not seem important but added to the patchiness IMO is that some of the interviews with Sunny Murray were shot on location while others were done over the phone (at a later date?). It makes me think that Collin ran out of money halfway through and tried to save as much as he could, but with suffering end results.

The Stockholm opening date was said to be at the end of February but now you mention March/April ……… one wonders.

I just found one (tentative?) date saying March 25.

By the way, I wonder if Herbert Katz is still around?

It seems that he is!

[JaSt]

I’m very surprised that there seams to be very few ”live” interviews as I know that Kasper went to Cleveland and talked to Albert’s father and Don and also saw Bernard Stollman and Mary Maria in New York. He went to London and interviewed Vallerie Willmer. There must be hours of proper interviews!

Also, I had expected a live Albert performance from France (?).

The Sunny Murray interview is probably the same Kasper made in March, 2000, in Stockholm when we recorded Sunny and Arthur Doyle at Glenn Miller Café. He filmed some minutes during that concert for possible including in the documentary and I know that they also took some shots with Sunny outside the Golden Circle.
This was 5 (five) years ago! ...... and that was not the beginning!

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by JaSt

I’m very surprised that there seams to be very few ”live” interviews as I know that Kasper went to Cleveland and talked to Albert’s father and Don and also saw Bernard Stollman and Mary Maria in New York. He went to London and interviewed Vallerie Willmer. There must be hours of proper interviews!

Oh, but these people are in the movie, as is Gary Peacock, but the interview snippets aren't always that fantastic. Like, there must be more interesting moments than when Collin and Albert's father ride a car and daddy Ayler pulls out a photo and shows it to Collin saying "Here's a photo of me and Albert and Don". The film didn't give me a much deeper understanding of Ayler and his work than I already had, and I would never call myself an expert on Ayler's biography. He was a passionate player. Yes I know. He's determination to play music was incredible. I know. He developed a deep spirituality/religious passion. I know that too. Etc. As I said in my "review" above, what I liked the most was the parts about Don, and several passages in the documentary focus mainly on him. Sunny Murray is also one of the most featured persons and he's entertaining to listen to. But the patchy editing and inclusion of what strikes me as less relevant material in an already short film at the expense of, for instance, high potent concert footage that Collin obviously has had access to leave me a bit frustrated and disappointed.

Originally Posted by JaSt

Also, I had expected a live Albert performance from France (?).

There are great TV performances from Europe 1966 that I thought was from Holland (they're unspecified - maybe that will be corrected when Collin has finished it), but they are only presented as snippets, cut short by interviews.

Originally Posted by JaSt

I know that they also took some shots with Sunny outside the Golden Circle. This was 5 (five) years ago! ...... and that was not the beginning!

The Golden Circle scenes are there. Five years ago - wow!

Well, maybe it's all just me, maybe I expected way too much from it, but...