When I listen to guitarist Mark O'Leary and drummer Sunny Murray's "Ode to Albert Ayler," I close my eyes and imagine an animated tour of the late, great saxophonist's mind.The music meanders at an often leisurely, occasionally frenetic, pace. Every cerebral note seems to probe then change direction. Ayler's music used to do that, too.
Most folks call Ayler a free jazz saxophonist. Fair enough, I suppose, but it was free jazz steeped in blues, gospel and the sounds of nature. He connected musical styles and sounds in a way that no else had done before.
Murray, Ayler's long-time drummer, and O'Leary don't try to recreate the master's music note for note. No one could. The tunes on "Ode to Albert Ayler," which I think is available only in digital format, are more like cosmic sketches of Ayler's music.
The music won't make you think like Ayler. That's not the point. But it will make you think ... and feel. I'll bet that's all Ayler ever wanted.
