Charles Gayle – born February 28, 1939, in Buffalo New York – was a free and spiritual jazz saxophonist who didn’t come to prominence until many decades into his career. He first began studying piano while employed at the Western Electric Company. By the end of the 1950s, he had switched instruments and began playing the tenor saxophone. In the 1960s, he began playing free jazz and performing in New York City before returning to Buffalo and studying under Charles Mingus at State College. He then returned to New York City, where he began to perform in small clubs, lofts, in subway corridors, and on street corners. He eventually ended up homeless for 15-20 years and earned money for food by playing for tips and taking the occasional gig. Discovered while performing with free jazz drummer Sunny Murray, Charles Gayle was encouraged to perform in Europe. In 1987, he formed a trio and began to perform live. releasing his debut album, Always Born, in 1988. Charles Gayle followed that debut with Spirits Before (1988) and Homeless (1989). With newfound respect by the jazz community, he began playing a Monday night residency at the Knitting Factory in New York. He continued releasing albums such as Repent (1992), More Live at the Knitting Factory (1993), Touchin’ on Trane (1993), Kingdom Come (1994), Unto I Am (1995), Delivered (1997), and Ancient of Days (1999). In 2001, he returned to his first instrument of choice when he released the album Jazz Solo Piano. Other albums include Shout! with bassist Siron and drummer Gerald Cleaver (2004), Time Zones (2006), Streets (2012) and The Alto Sessions (2019). He also issued several live albums including Forgiveness (2008), Look Up (2012), Christ Everlasting (2015), Live at Jazzwerkstatt Peitz with drummer Hamid Drake and bassist William Parker (2016) and Solar System (2018). Charles Gayle died in Brooklyn, New York on September 7, 2023, at the age of 84.
