Albert Ayler

Following a few years spent living and playing in Scandinavia, an unknown saxophone player by the name of Albert Ayler returned home to the USA to begin imposing his revolutionary style of jazz on the world. Having recorded his debut album, My Name Is Albert Ayler for the Danish label, Debut Records, this session (which took place in New York City on 24 February 1964) was his first American effort, resulting in the eventual release of two albums: Spirits (released in 1964 on Debut) and Swing Low, Sweet Spiritual, which remained unissued for 30 years. Here, a quartet featuring Ayler on tenor and soprano sax, Call Cobbs on piano, Henry Grimes on bass and Sunny Murray on drums, provide a fresh reading of five well-known African American spirituals and gospel hymns, plus 'Old Man River,' taken from the 1927 musical Show Boat. This is an extremely rare album from Ayler's early period.