Albert Ayler, Vibrations (side A)

Albert Ayler's quartet recordings from Copenhagen in September 1964, first released in 1965 as Ghosts, reappeared a decade later under the name Vibrations.  The recordings capture Ayler with perhaps his most famous group of sidemen:  Don Cherry, Sunny Murray, and Gary Peacock.  While it was recorded only a few months after the chaotic Spiritual Unity, Vibrations captures Ayler's transition toward his subtler and more complex work.  Sunny Murray's drumming often retains its unmitigated energy, and his snare drum can still leap out of the mix.  These driving performances are juxtaposed with more introspective compositions like "Ghosts", which foreshadow the layered counterpoint that would be Ayler's focus by 1966.  Cherry's distinctive voice stands out here — at times it almost seems out of place, but he also brings a bit of Ornette's influence into tracks like "Holy Spirit".  The mixes feature extreme panning, with Peacock's bass often illogically hard-panned.  A large painting of clouds fills most of the front cover, but it seems to have little relationship to Ayler's music here.