The following four mp3s have always been on the site (accompanied by a plea to the record companies to let them remain) as an introduction to the music of Albert Ayler for those who had never heard him. Back then webspace was severely limited so I chose three short tracks - ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Bells’ (obviously) and ‘Holy Family’ - and ‘Change Has Come’ which was, and still remains, my favourite Ayler track of all time.

Ghosts from GHOSTS (1964)

Holy Family from SPIRITS REJOICE (1965)

Change Has Come from IN GREENWICH VILLAGE (1967)

Bells from LOVE CRY (1967)

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The purpose of the site has always been to provide information about Albert and Don Ayler, to introduce their music to a new audience and to keep their music in the commercial catalogue. From time to time I have added other mp3s to the site (for odd reasons) but these are scattered around the Discography and the old What’s New pages, hidden deep within the archives. To make things easier, they can also be accessed from here:

Introduction from MY NAME IS ALBERT AYLER (1963)

Spirits (alternate take) from SPIRITUAL UNITY (1964)

Stockholm Concert (1966):
‘Truth Is Marching In’ (8:43)  ‘Omega Is The Alpha’ (9:59)  ‘Our Prayer’ (7:49)

Copenhagen Concert (1966):
Introduction (1:05)  ‘Truth Is Marching In’ (9:47)  ‘Holy Ghost/unknown title/Light In Darkness’ (9:06)
‘Our Prayer’ (3:59)  Unknown Title (incomplete) (3:43)

Our Prayer from IN GREENWICH VILLAGE (1967)

Coltrane funeral (1967) (a rougher version than the one in the Holy Ghost box)

Water Music from THE LAST ALBUM (1969)

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Eastern Song from DON AYLER IN FLORENCE 1981, Vol. 3.

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Suite for Albert Ayler - Don Cherry Quintet (1966)

(Recorded at the Cafe Montmartre, Copenhagen on 31st March 1966. The line-up is Don Cherry (cornet), Gato Barbieri (tenor sax), Karl Berger (vibes), Bo Stief (bass) and Aldo Romano (drums).
Sean WIlkie (with help from Dikko Faust) has provided the following breakdown of the medley:
0.00 – 1.52 Ghosts theme
1.52 – 4.35 Cherry then Barbieri solo on/with the Ghosts tune
4.35 – 4.57 Awake Nu
4.57 – 5.20 Rollins-ish calypso-like tune
5.15 – 5.20 Ghosts as well
5.20 – 5.57 Berger solo
5.57 – 6.05 Rollins-ish calypso
6.05 – 6.30 Ghosts
6.30 – 7.25 Holy Spirit, with Barbieri outbursts
7.25 – 7.55 Mothers (with Berger interpolating Holy Spirit)
7.55 – 8.12 Barbieri breaks loose
8.12 – 8.37 Holy Spirit
8.38 – 9.20 unidentified tune
9.20 – 9.25 Holy Spirit briefly remembered
9.25 – 10.11/end Ghosts reprised.
Suite for Albert Ayler was originally released on Live at Cafe Montmartre, 1966: Volume 2 (Magnetic Records MRCD112) and was re-released in 2008 on ESP 4043.)

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Let’s Sing For Him (March In Memory of Albert Ayler)

(Recorded at the Baden- Baden Free Jazz Meeting on the 7th December 1970, just twelve days after Albert’s body was found floating in the East River. The band features Don Cherry, Steve Lacy and some of the leading musicians of the European free jazz scene, including: Tomasz Stanko, Manfred Schoof, Albert Mangelsdorff, Paul Rutherford, John Tchicai, Trevor Watts, Peter Brotzmann, Willem Breuker, Gunter Hampel, Joachim Kuhn, John Dyani, Peter Warren, Dave Holland, Han Bennink, John Stevens, Pierre Favre, Norma Winstone and Karin Krog.)

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