Spirits (Albert Ayler album)
Spirits | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1966 | |||
Recorded | February 24, 1964 | |||
Studio | Atlantic Studios, New York City | |||
Genre | Free jazz | |||
Length | 35:35 | |||
Label | Debut (Denmark) DEB 146 Freedom AL 1018 | |||
Producer | Robert Altshuler and Jørgen Frigaard | |||
Albert Ayler chronology | ||||
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Witches & Devils Cover | ||||
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Spirits is an album by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded in New York City in 1964 and first released on the Danish Debut label then later released on the Freedom label as Witches & Devils.[1][2]
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3½ stars, and commented: "This is the first recorded glimpse of Ayler in full flow. He reaches peaks of intensity here that are among the most arresting and evocative in his brief career... The real action... is between saxophone and drums and Murray is a towering presence throughout."[5]
All About Jazz stated "The names on the cover look good: Albert Ayler, Henry Grimes, and Sunny Murray. But somehow the parts never add up, though. Sure, the album's four tunes wiggle plenty, producing the agitated jazz Ayler often preached; but, the motions on Spirits, unlike Ayler's better moments, resolve too very little... True Ayler diehards will undoubtedly gobble this recording up, but those in search of quality best look elsewhere".[6]
Val Wilmer wrote that Spirits "contains some of Ayler's most majestic playing and marks his first appearance on record with musicians of his own stature."[7]
Amiri Baraka wrote that Ayler's playing on Spirits is "a revelation" and that the musicians on the album "seem interested in getting to where they, themselves, are, rather than just showing up 'hip,' playing all the accepted licks of the day."[8] He states that the tune Witches and Devils "should frighten anyone given to mystical involvement or even simple impressionistic reaction. It is a scary tune, going deep beneath what we say is real to that other portion of ourselves that is, finally, realer and much less familiar."[9]
Track listing
All compositions by Albert Ayler.
- "Spirits" - 6:35
- "Witches and Devils" - 11:55
- "Holy, Holy" - 11:00
- "Saints" - 6:05
Personnel
- Albert Ayler - tenor saxophone
- Norman Howard - trumpet
- Henry Grimes - bass (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
- Earle Henderson - bass (tracks 2 & 3)
- Sonny Murray - drums
References
- ^ Albert Ayler discography accessed October 28, 2014
- ^ Discogs album entry, accessed October 28, 2014
- ^ a b c Jurek, T., Allmusic Review accessed October 28, 2014
- ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
- ^ Linares, G., All About Jazz Review, September 15, 2005
- ^ Wilmer, Val (2018). As Serious As Your Life. Serpent's Tail. p. 137.
- Jones, Leroi(1968). Black Music. Da Capo. pp. 114–115.
- Jones, Leroi(1968). Black Music. Da Capo. p. 115.