My Name Is Albert Ayler

My Name is Albert Ayler is the first film portrait of one of the most fascinating jazz saxophonists of the 60s, a prophetic, controversial, avant-garde figure. According to his friend John Coltrane, he was the most important innovator in jazz. Amiri Baraka described his work as the explosive sound of today. He never made it into big venues but played his intransigent music – which he called free spiritual music – mostly in coffee shops. He was obsessed with the notion that people one day would understand his radical compositions. In 1963 he made his official debut album “My Name Is Albert Ayler”. Seven years later he was found dead in New York’s East River, only 34 years old. His death is still a mystery. Ayler had always suffered from financial problems. When his downfall truly began in 1966, he sought salvation in spirituality. Rich and newly-discovered archive material, intimate meetings with family, friends and colleagues, Ayler’s voice from radio interviews, breathtaking free jazz bring to life the wild, revolutionary spirit of a unique jazz musician. (DOK.fest München)