Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Albert Ayler: Albert Ayler 1965: Spirits Rejoice & Bells Revisited

Albert Ayler: Albert Ayler 1965: Spirits Rejoice & Bells Revisited

By Mark Corroto
November 28, 2020
View read count

Albert Ayler: Albert Ayler 1965: Spirits Rejoice & Bells Revisited

Being that 2020 is more than half a century since

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler (1936-70) recorded this music, the best way to approach might be through what the Zen Buddhists call Shoshin. Roughly translated as "beginner's mind," or the ability to experience things as if for the first time. Since we cannot transport ourselves back to 1965, taking a posture of readiness and being open to experience the revelatory nature of this music might be the best plan of attack.

Ayler's brief recording career spanned just eight years, from 1962 to 1970, the year of his tragic death. In that short career he, along with

Cecil Taylor

piano
1929 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Cecil Taylor,

Pharoah Sanders

saxophone, tenor
1940 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Pharoah Sanders, and

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman, changed the direction of modern jazz. Ayler's music had an immediate effect on the music and trajectory of

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's career, evidenced by his post-1964 Impulse! Records output. Looking back now with Shoshin gives the listener the ability to experience the shock of the new that was Ayler's music.

Hat Hut Records and its subsidiary labels Hatology and ezz-thetics have dutifully preserved and most importantly, remastered Ayler's output from multiple labels and radio broadcasts. Released with permission from the Ayler Estate, the music is saved from pirated labels and poor sound, thus given its proper place in jazz history. Alongside the 9CD boxset Holy Ghost (Revenent, 2004), which incidentally has no recordings from 1965, this Hat Hut Records series gives a nearly complete picture of Ayler.

Albert Ayler 1965: Spirits Rejoice & Bells Revisited zooms in on two influential records where the saxophonist introduces his brother, trumpeter

Donald Ayler

trumpet
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Donald Ayler into his group. The first date (and the last track heard here) is "Bells," taken from the album of the same name. Bells (ESP Disk, 1965) was a curious release, in that it was a one sided clear vinyl LP recorded live May 1, 1965 at Town Hall in New York. Although listed as one track, it is a medley of three compositions "Holy Ghost," "No Name," and "Bells." Summoning that beginner's mind, the fury heard as the track begins rocks you back on your heels.

Sunny Murray

drums
1937 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Sunny Murray's echoed bounce on his drum kit plus the spooky ghost voice behind the clamor might raise the hairs on the back of one's neck. The shredded and splinted sounds from Albert and Donald Ayler and

Charles Tyler

saxophone, baritone
1941 - 1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Tyler flow into the saxophonist's vibrato—full solo in part two and bassist Lewis Worrell's deep pulse before the march of "Bells" enters with its braided horns which give way to incendiary sounds. The music is simultaneously childlike and avant-garde.

Historically speaking, we can draw direct lines from Ayler's music to that of

David Murray

saxophone, tenor
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">David Murray,

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson,

Jeff Lederer

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Lederer, and

John Dikeman

saxophone, tenor
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">John Dikeman. But let's stay with Shoshin. When this music was first heard, it angered many 'experts' who couldn't connect the dots between New Orleans and European military bands, spirituals and the naive nature of Ayler's art. Spirits Rejoice, reproduced here, was recorded at Judson Hall without an audience. The title track borrows from "La Marseillaise," accelerating from zero to sixty with two bassists,

Henry Grimes

bass, acoustic
1935 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Grimes, and

Gary Peacock

bass, acoustic
1935 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Peacock, Donald Ayler and CharlesTyler once again, with Sunny Murray playing the bouncing ball drum kit with busy cymbals. The music has a revival feel with "Holy Family," a catch me if you can tone, "D.C." and "Prophet," and the medieval churchiness of "Angels" with Cal Cobbs sitting in on harpsichord. While Ayler's tenor saxophone could have drown Cobbs out, he negotiates a blues and delicate path forward.

It is well worth the effort to listen to this music for the first time, literally and, well, figuratively.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Spirits Rejoice; Holy Family; D.C.; Angels; Prophet; Bells.

Personnel

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor

Donald Ayler

trumpet

Charles Tyler

saxophone, baritone

Henry Grimes

bass, acoustic

Gary Peacock

bass, acoustic

Sunny Murray

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Cal Cobbs: harpsicord; Lewis Worrell: bass

Album information

Title: Albert Ayler 1965: Spirits Rejoice & Bells Revisited | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: ezz-thetics

PREVIOUS / NEXT

New releases from Trio Grande, Chris...
< Previous

Alone Together Again
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.