Spirits Rejoice

Spirits Rejoice
Live album by
Released1965
RecordedSeptember 23, 1965 at Judson Hall, NYC
GenreFree jazz
Length32:58
LabelESP-Disk ESP 1020
Albert Ayler chronology
Bells
(1965)
Spirits Rejoice
(1965)
Live at Slug's Saloon
(1966)

Spirits Rejoice is a live album by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded in New York City in 1965 and first released on the ESP-Disk label. The recording session took place without an audience at Judson Hall, which had been rented solely for recording purposes.

The album marks bassist Gary Peacock's last appearance with Ayler.

Regarding the two-minute track titled "Holy Family", ESP founder Bernard Stollman recalled:

As Albert was recording his session at Judson Hall, I asked him whether he would be willing to do a short work. He smiled resignedly and nodded in agreement. One of the songs on Spirits Rejoice, "Holy Family," is the result. It is less than three minutes in length. I realized, to my chagrin, that I had violated our commitment to recognize the artist as the sole authority to determine the content of his work, and I vowed to myself that it would never happen again.