Charles Tyler Ensemble

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Charles Tyler Ensemble
Charles Tyler Ensemble Cover.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1966
RecordedFebruary 4, 1966
New York City, U.S.
Genre Jazz
Length34:01
Label ESP-Disk
Charles Tyler chronology
Charles Tyler Ensemble
(1966)
Eastern Man Alone
(1967)

Charles Tyler Ensemble is the debut album by American jazz saxophonist Charles Tyler, which was recorded in 1966 in New York City and released on ESP-Disk. [1]

Contents

Background

By 1965, Tyler was added as the third horn in Albert Ayler's band. That association is documented by Bells and Spirits Rejoice. The following year, Bernard Stollman offered Tyler the opportunity to record his first album as leader on ESP-Disk. The band features an unusual instrumentation for its time, using cellist Joel Freedman and bassist Henry Grimes from Albert Ayler's group along with Charles Moffett on mallet instruments and a young Ronald Jackson (later known as Ronald Shannon Jackson) on drums. Although primarily known as a baritone saxophone player, Tyler plays alto saxophone on four original compositions. [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

In his review for AllMusic, Michael G. Nastos wrote "With this vivacious music that stretches time parameters and harmonic envelopes, Tyler and his crew bend whatever malleable shapes they can, while burning down the traditional jazz house and still paying homage to bebop." [3]

The JazzTimes review by Lyn Horton notes "Distinguishing Tyler, from Ayler, is the sourness of his flourishes. He avoids lengthy arpeggios, but tends towards eerie high tension phrases, vibratos and nearly fully-realized melodies." [5]

The All About Jazz review by Raul D'Gama Rose says that "Unlike many records of the mid-1960s, it burns with a quiet blue flame, eschewing the intellectual posturing that characterized much new music in the avant-garde era." [6]

Track listing

All compositions by Charles Tyler
  1. "Strange Uhuru" – 10:01
  2. "Lacy's Out East" – 6:38
  3. "Three Spirits" – 8:07
  4. "Black Mysticism" – 9:15

Personnel

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References

  1. an esp-disk' discography at Wesleyan University
  2. Charles Tyler Ensemble at ESP-Disk
  3. 1 2 Nastos, Michael G.. Charles Tyler – Charles Tyler Ensemble: Review at AllMusic . Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  4. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1425. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. Charles Tyler Ensemble review by Lyn Horton at JazzTimes
  6. Charles Tyler Ensemble review by Raul D'Gama Rose at All About Jazz