The two reissues presented herein include the last sessions that Donald would record with his brother, book-ending a turning point in Ayler’s music. The Village Theater sessions, from late 1966 and early 1967 (the latter without Donald) mark, arguably, a high point in his work to that date, where the musical ecstasy he sought was as close to realization as he ever achieved – and new avenues may have been opening up – whereas ‘Love Cry’, from the summer of 1967, indicates at least partially a pivot point, redirecting the music toward, it was hoped, a more popular reception.
Disc 1
Live Greenwich Village
Albert Ayler tenor saxophone
Donald Ayler trumpet
Michel Sampson violin
Bill Folwell, Henry Grimes double bass
Beaver Harris drums
1 Truth Is Marching In 12:30
2 Our Prayer 4:38 by Don Ayler
Recorded 18 December, 1966 at The Village
Vanguard, NYC
Albert Ayler alto saxophone on track 3
tenor saxophone on track 4
Donald Ayler trumpet on track 4
Alan Silva, Bill Folwel double bass
Joel Friedman cello
Beaver Harris drums
3 For John Coltrane 13:35
4 Change Has Come 6:15
Recorded 26 February, 1967 at The Village Theatre, NYC
Disc 2
Love Cry
Albert Ayler tenor saxophone; alto saxophone
on tracks 5 & 11; voice on tracks 5 & 12
Don Ayler trumpet on tracks 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 & 12
Call Cobbs harpsichord on tracks 7, 8, 10 & 11
Alan Silva double bass
Milford Graves drums
5 Love Cry 3:55
6 Ghosts 2:49
7 Omega 3:17
8 Dancing Flowers 2:22
9 Bells 3:11
10 Love Flower 3:32
11 Zion Hill 6:08
12 Universal Indians 9:51
Tracks 5 to 10 recorded at Capitol Studios, NYC,
August 31, 1967; Track 11 & 12 recorded at Capitol Stu-
dios, NYC, February 13, 1968