the of mirror eye

* Arthur Doyle Quartet: Noah Black Ark (16.0 mb)
From Live @ The Cooler : Lotus Sound

If one is to address the genre of free, or improvisational jazz, then Arthur Doyle must be mentioned. Unfortunately, he is too often ignored and under-recorded and has not had the massive critical acclaim that he deserves. Arthur Doyle had a singular voice that is immediately recognizable. He plays the tenor saxophone and the flute, often while singing at the same time. It’s an incredible sound that is influenced by gospel, doo-wop and r ‘n’ b and is one that absolutely tears at the heart. He’s been blowing and playing since the late ’60’s and has played with the who’s who of free jazz, but for one reason or another, fame has eluded him. Always a sensitive soul, Arthur Doyle has played on and off since the ’60’s, sufferering from a number of nervous breakdowns and also a stint in prison on trumped up charges. His time in prison was not wasted though, as he composed an estimated 300 songs. All part of what he dubbed, The Songbook.

Ever hopeful for something to turn up, be it new work or releases of concerts already recorded, Doyle still intends to return to the Songbook.

“I’m trying to record all of them, hopefully, before I die. Record all of them. Those songs are everything I’ve lived. They’re dedicated to my family. My family have given me so much and I have very little to give them in return.”

Doyle is under no illusion as to the difficulty involved, but is determined to continue making his music, without compromise.

“I love being underground, man. They get you into the mainstream, and it’s not happening, trying to be commercial. That was part of the conspiracy in the 1970s against free jazz. Rashied Sinan.. he just disappeared. Government and police fucking with musicians. They got people to go mainstream. I didn’t want to play that, I wanted to play free jazz soul. Free jazz soul music is what I play. I’m happy underground. There’s not much money, but I’m happy. And that’s a victory: being happy.”

(Dan Warburton)

This recording happened in 1995 during a resurgence in his playing. He had released a number of records based on songs from The Songbook and had gotten back in touch with some of his old buddies. This recording, at the uber-hip club the Cooler, features the red hot playing of Rudolph Grey on guitar, Wilbur Morris on bass and Tom Surgal on drums. It’s a fantastic document and features some of the best free improv music out there.

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