Albert Ayler Trio

Albert Ayler's Trio created a definitive free jazz sound. Assembled in New York together with double bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray, they've recorded their breakthrough album called Spiritual Unity, for ESP-Disk Records: 30 minutes of intense free improvisation. Embraced by New York jazz leaders like Eric Dolphy, who reportedly called him the best player he'd ever seen, Ayler found respect and an audience. He influenced the gestating new generation of jazz players, as well as veterans like John Coltrane. In 1964 he toured Europe, with the trio augmented with trumpeter Don Cherry, recorded in what was called The Hilversum Session and released as the Albert Ayler Quartet.