Spiritual Unity

Infobox Album |
Name = Spiritual Unity
Type = Album
Artist = Albert Ayler Trio


Released = 1964
Recorded = July 10 1964
Genre = Free jazz
Length = 29:19
Label = ESP-Disk
Producer = ?
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3pzyxdkb8olk link]
* Pitchfork Media (9.3/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/15145-spiritual-unity-live-on-the-riviera?artist_title=15145-spiritual-unity-live-on-the-riviera link]
Last album = "Witches and Devils"
(1964)
This album = "Spiritual Unity"
(1964)
Next album = "Prophecy"
(1964)

"Spiritual Unity" is an album by the American jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler (1936-1970). It was recorded for the ESP-Disk label and was a key free jazz recording which brought Ayler to international attention as it was so "shockingly different" (Wilmer). It featured two versions of Ayler's most famous composition "Ghosts".

The critic Ekkehard Jost wrote that "Ayler's negation of fixed pitches finds a counterpart in Peacock's and Murray's negation of the beat. In no group of this time is so little heard of a steady beat (...) The absolute rhythmic freedom frequently leads to action on three independent rhythmic planes." Maintaining these qualities required deep group interaction. Ayler himself said of the record "We weren't playing, we were listening to each other" (cited by Wilmer)

In 2003, "Spiritual Unity" was listed at #49 in [http://www.blastitude.com/14/pg4.htm Joe S. Harrington's Top 100 Albums] .

Track listing

# "Ghosts: First variation" – 5:12
# "The Wizard" – 7:20
# "Spirits" – 6:46
# "Ghosts: Second variation" – 10:01

Musicians

*Albert Ayler - tenor saxophone (just listed as "saxophone" in liner notes)
*Gary Peacock - bass
*Sunny Murray - percussion

References

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