Charles Gayle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Gayle
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| Background information | |
| Born | February 28, 1939 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 7, 2023 (aged 84) |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, educator |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone, piano, bass clarinet, acoustic bass |
| Years active | 1960s–2023 |
| Labels | Silkheart, Black Saint, Knitting Factory, FMP, Clean Feed, Tompkins Square |
Charles Gayle (born February 28, 1939 – died September 7, 2023) was an amazing American musician. He was best known for playing the saxophone in a style called free jazz. This type of jazz lets musicians play very creatively and freely. Charles Gayle could play many other instruments too, like the piano, bass clarinet, and bass. He became famous in the 1990s after many years of playing music without much recognition.
Contents
About Charles Gayle
Charles Gayle was born in Buffalo, New York. He didn't talk much about his early life in interviews. In the early 1970s, he moved to New York City. Before that, he taught music for a short time at the University at Buffalo.
Playing Music on the Streets
For about fifteen years, Charles Gayle lived without a home. During this time, he played his saxophone on street corners and in subway stations around New York City. He chose this path so he could spend almost all his time playing music. He once said that he needed to play music because it was so important to him.
Even though he often earned very little money, sometimes less than $3 a day, he found joy in playing for people on the streets. He would walk for miles, playing his music the whole time. He wasn't worried about what people thought. He just had to play. Sometimes, people would even put money in his coffee cup while he played.
Becoming Famous
In 1988, Charles Gayle became well-known. He recorded three albums in just one week for a Swedish record company called Silkheart Records. After this, he became a very important musician in the world of free jazz. He recorded music for many other record labels too, like Black Saint and Knitting Factory Records. He also taught music at Bennington College.
Music and Beliefs
Charles Gayle's music was deeply inspired by his spiritual beliefs. He often said he wanted people to enjoy his music. He also hoped it might help them think about God. His childhood was influenced by religion, and his musical roots came from black gospel music.
He played and recorded with other famous musicians like Cecil Taylor and William Parker. One of his most famous albums is Touchin' on Trane.
Other Instruments and Performances
While Charles Gayle was known for his saxophone playing, he also played other instruments. The piano was actually the first instrument he learned. He also played the alto saxophone.
Sometimes, during his concerts, he would talk to the audience about his political and religious beliefs. He felt it was important to share his thoughts. Charles Gayle even had a special character he would perform as: a mime clown named "Streets the Clown." He said playing "Streets" helped him feel free from being "Charles" and allowed him to be a different person on stage.
In 2001, he released an album called Jazz Solo Piano. This album showed that he could play traditional jazz standards, not just free jazz. He released another solo piano album in 2006 called Time Zones. Charles Gayle also appeared in a 1985 jazz movie called "Rising Tones Cross."
Discography
Here is a list of some of the albums Charles Gayle recorded.
As leader or co-leader
- Always Born (Silkheart, 1988)
- Homeless (Silkheart, 1989)
- Spirits Before (Silkheart, 1988)
- Repent (Knitting Factory, 1992)
- More Live at the Knitting Factory (Knitting Factory, 1993)
- Touchin' on Trane (FMP, 1993)
- Consecration (Black Saint, 1993)
- Raining Fire (Silkheart, 1993)
- Translations (Silkheart, 1993)
- Live at Disobey (Blast First, 1994)
- Kingdom Come (Knitting Factory, 1994)
- Unto I Am (Victo, 1995)
- Testaments (Knitting Factory, 1995)
- Delivered (2.13.61, 1997)
- Berlin Movement from Future Years (FMP, 1997)
- Solo in Japan (PSF, 1997)
- Daily Bread (Black Saint, 1998)
- Ancient of Days (Knitting Factory, 1999)
- Abiding Variations (FMP, 1999)
- Jazz Solo Piano (Knitting Factory, 2001)
- Precious Soul (FMP, 2001)
- No Bills (Long Arms, 2005)
- Shout! (Clean Feed, 2005)
- Time Zones (Tompkins Square, 2006)
- Live at Glenn Miller Cafe (Ayler, 2006)
- Consider the Lilies (Clean Feed, 2006)
- Blue Shadows (Silkheart, 2007)
- Forgiveness (Not Two, 2008)
- Live at Crescendo (Ayler, 2008) with By Any Means (Gayle, William Parker, and Rashied Ali)
- Our Souls: Live in Vilnius (NoBusiness, 2010)
- Streets (Northern Spy, 2012)
- Look Up (ESP Disk, 2012)
- Christ Everlasting (For Tune, 2015)
- Solar System (For Tune, 2017)
- Seasons Changing (Otoroku 2019)
- The Alto Sessions (El Negocito, 2019)
As sideman
- Sunny Murray, Illuminators (Audible Hiss, 1996)
- William Parker, Requiem (Splasc(H), 2006)
- Henry Rollins, Everything (2.13.61, 1996)
- Henry Rollins, Weighting (2.13.61, 2003)
- Sirone and Billy Bang, Configuration (Silkheart, 2005)
- Cecil Taylor, Always a Pleasure (FMP, 1996)
