Albert Ayler - Love Cry (Japanese Impulse! Vinyl LP Gatefold)

Vinyl: VG+
Sleeve: VG+
Obi: None

Our grading system explained here.
Photo is of the actual item.

Albert Ayler - Love Cry Vinyl LP - Japanese Impulse! Gatefold Reissue

One of the most emotionally direct and spiritually charged albums in the free jazz canon, Love Cry presents Albert Ayler at a crucial juncture in his brief but incandescent career. Recorded across two sessions in August 1967 and February 1968, and reissued in Japan in 1972 by Toshiba Musical Industries in a handsome gatefold edition, this album captures Ayler's vision of jazz as sacred music, folk expression, and ecstatic celebration all at once.

Ayler's approach to the tenor saxophone was unlike anyone else's. His huge, vocal tone, wide vibrato, and willingness to venture into extreme registers made his sound instantly recognisable and often divisive. But what separated Ayler from mere iconoclasm was the profound emotion and spiritual searching in his music. These aren't merely abstract sound experiments but deeply felt expressions of joy, yearning, and transcendence.

The eight compositions move between tender folk-like melodies and collective free improvisations. "Love Cry" and "Love Flower" showcase Ayler's gift for simple, almost childlike themes that carry surprising emotional weight. "Ghosts", one of his most frequently performed pieces, builds from a haunting march-like melody into passionate collective improvisation. "Universal Indians" points toward Ayler's growing interest in incorporating rock and R&B elements, a direction that would become more pronounced on his final albums.

The ensemble here is exceptional. Donald Ayler's trumpet complements his brother's saxophone with a similarly raw, vocalized approach. Milford Graves' drumming abandons conventional timekeeping for a more ritualistic, pulse-oriented approach that perfectly suits Albert's conception. Alan Silva's bass provides both grounding and freedom, while Call Cobbs' harpsichord adds an unexpected timbral colour, particularly striking on tracks where its baroque associations clash productively with the music's avant-garde intensity.

Ayler's vocals appear on some tracks, his untrained voice adding another layer of raw expressiveness to the proceedings. For some listeners, this is too much, but for those attuned to Ayler's vision, it represents complete artistic honesty and vulnerability.

This Japanese gatefold pressing offers excellent stereo sound that captures both the intimacy of the smaller group performances and the power of Ayler's full-throated saxophone cry. Just three years after these recordings, Ayler would be found dead in New York's East River under mysterious circumstances, making albums like Love Cry precious documents of a visionary artist who burned brightly and briefly.