In addition to an entire album comprised of spirituals, Ayler's compositions reflect the influence of march music, hymns, folk, and the early source materials of jazz. As someone with a budding interest in the ways in which the jazz avant-garde returned to the roots in the 1960s and 1970s, Ayler's music is always a great start. This composition, "Spirits Rejoice," mixes the aforementioned musical genres into an utterly unique sound through Ayler's transformation of the tenor saxophone into voice. Its cry seems to reflect the birth, suffering, and eventual triumph through its combination of military march and religious sentiment. It almost brings to mind Sketches of Spain-era Miles with its evocations of street processions, yet Ayler's honking saxophone never loses touch with melody.
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