Ayler Records

Ayler Records
Founded2000 (2000)
FounderJan Ström and Åke Bjurhamn
GenreJazz, free jazz, improvised music
Country of originFrance
LocationLimours
Official websiteayler.com
Slogan"Never for money, always for love."

Ayler Records is an independent record label that focuses on jazz, free jazz, and improvised music.

History

Named after saxophonist Albert Ayler, the label was founded in Sweden in 2000 by Jan Ström and Åke Bjurhamn.[1][2][3] The majority of Ayler's early releases were live recordings of European and American free jazz groups, many of them taped at the Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm, where Ström helped to book musicians.[2][4] In 2009, Ayler relocated to France, where it is managed by Stéphane Berland, who had joined the label in 2005, and who is now the sole overseer.[3][5][6] Recent releases are, according to writer Nick Ostrum, "not really jazz or free jazz, though they all lay somewhere on the musical fringes," suggesting "interesting and unpredictable things to come,"[7] and reflecting a broadening of the label's catalogue.[3]

Cover art

Ayler Records releases have been noted for their unique cover art and design.[4] From 2000 to 2008, covers featured a beige background and reproductions of paintings by co-founder Åke Bjurhamn, while releases from 2009 on have cover art designed by Stéphane Berland, who earns a living as a graphic designer and writer in the advertising field.[8]

Reception

Writer Krištof Budke called the label's catalogue "brilliant, forward-thinking, progressive and extremely creative,"[8] while reviewer Rex Butters praised Ayler for "[doing] its part to retrieve deserving free records from obscurity."[9] Ayler Records releases have received praise from Jazzwise,[10] JazzTimes,[11] Tom Hull,[12] Point of Departure,[13] Paris Transatlantic,[14] Dusted Magazine,[15] and The Times.[16]

References

  1. ^ Jenkins, Todd S. (2004). "Ayler Records". Free Jazz and Free Improvisation: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Greenwood. p. 29. ISBN 9780313333132 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Hull, Tom (May 24, 2005). "Covering Expenses". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Nicolas, Tom (March 29, 2020). "Ayler Records, Label de Coeur". Citizen Jazz. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Henkin, Andrey (November 8, 2003). "Ayler Records". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  5. ^ Ostrum, Nick (June 22, 2019). "Recent Releases from Ayler Records". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "Ici, Sans Bruit et Nulle Part Ayler..." Truant Music. March 1, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  7. ^ Ostrum, Nick (April 29, 2021). "Ayler Records is Back". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Budke, Krištof (May 31, 2020). "How Do Ayler Records Curate Its Experimental Style?". Swine Daily. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  9. ^ Butters, Rex (June 8, 2004). "Michael Marcus Trio: Ithem". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  10. ^ "Albert Ayler: 10 Essential Albums". JazzWise. October 19, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  11. ^ Milkowski, Bill (May 1, 2006). "Hamid Drake and Assif Tsahar: Live at Glenn Miller Café". JazzTimes. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Hull, Tom (May 1, 2006). "Jimmy Lyons". TomHull.com. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  13. ^ Shoemaker, Bill (January 2007). "Moment's Notice: Recent CDs Briefly Reviewed". Point of Departure. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  14. ^ Warburton, Dan (November 2001). "Arthur Doyle / Sunny Murray: Live at Glenn Miller Café". Paris Transatlantic. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  15. ^ Taylor, Derek. "Lyons' Pride". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  16. ^ Lee, Stewart (August 10, 2008). "By Any Means: Live at Crescendo: The Sunday Times review". The Times. Retrieved April 9, 2023.