When the Messenger Got Too Commercial
Ayler was hurt by the negative reaction, accused of betraying his own genius for popularity.
New Grass arrived in 1968 to a wall of disappointment. Fans and critics turned on it immediately, convinced Ayler had abandoned everything that made him vital. Critic Larry Neal spoke for many, questioning whether Impulse Records had pushed him toward a more commercial sound, whether the brother was being manipulated or simply chasing American success. The album landed as a failure in real time—not the kind that builds a cult following later, but the kind that stung in the moment. Ayler himself felt the sting deeply.
What made the rejection so sharp was that Ayler had spent years fighting for uncompromising music. To see him suddenly accused of selling out—by the very people who should have understood him—was brutal. AllMusic reviewer Al Campbell later called the album "misunderstood," suggesting that Ayler's willingness to move in a more commercial direction had been real enough, but the label's encouragement to do so raised legitimate questions about where the artist's true intentions lay.
The album remains a difficult record to place in Ayler's discography. It sits between his earlier spiritual jazz work and whatever came next, uncomfortably caught between two worlds. For listeners curious about a moment when artistic integrity and commercial pressure collided head-on, New Grass documents that collision honestly. It is not comfortable listening, but that discomfort is its own kind of authenticity.
Who's playing
Bill Folwellelectric bass guitar
Buddy Lucasbaritone saxophone
Burt Collinstrumpet
Joe Newmantrumpet
Garnett Browntrombone
Bernard “Pretty” Purdiedrums
Albert Aylerbagpipe
Seldon Powellwoodwind
