ALBERT AYLER レコード& CD

Review: Saxophonist Albert Ayler laid down his controversial piece de resistance, Love Cry, in 1968. Renowned for its psychedelic influences, weird use of harpsichord, and subversion of worldless vocal traditions (the ultimate finale, 'Universal Indians', is by far the album's star piece, thanks to cathartic trills from Ayler himself), the album was also panned by some at the time, such as writer Val Wilmer passing comment on Ayler's voice as untrained and "torturous". But we believe transgressions such as this are ones that make manifest the radical potential in free jazz; after all, art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. It's albums like Love Cry - which came about at a time of radical transformation in the world, and which preceded Ayler's death by only two years - which restore our faith in music.