Albert Ayler :: Europe 1966

Europe 1966 is a 4-LP set documenting four of Albert Ayler’s performances with his quintet that took place over a ten-day period in November 1966. The collection includes the band’s appearances in Berlin, Lörrach, Stockholm, and Paris, where the saxophonist and his group took part in a package tour called Newport In Europe, a George Wein-curated program that also included Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, and Dave Brubeck. Ayler’s group on this tour consisted of his brother Donald Ayler on trumpet, Michel Samson on violin, William Folwell on double bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. (The latter replaced longtime Ayler accompanist Sunny Murray, who opted not to make the European trip.) The first thing one may notice about Ayler’s tunes on this tour is how relatively structured and poised they sound compared to their foundational earlier readings, with Ayler taking an almost chamber-like approach to his by-then familiar compositions. This is not to say these performances are tame, or that they l