1962年艾勒还是名不见经传的一名乐手, 尽管也有少部分听众通过其几年前短暂的哥本哈根之行认识了他. 在1963年初返回美国后, 在他返乡(俄亥俄州的克利夫兰)期间, 他在纽约举办了一场音乐会. 然而, 即使他曾经和塞西尔. 泰勒一同演奏过, 他的音乐天赋依然不为人知, 他的名字不曾为任何一家美国杂志所关注. 但是, 他和泰勒的乐团在新年前夕在林肯中心举办的音乐会是其演绎生涯中一个关键的转折点.
 
by Scott Yanow
 
One of the giants of free jazz, Albert Ayler was also one of the most controversial. His huge tone and wide vibrato were difficult to ignore, and his 1966 group sounded like a runaway New Orleans brass band from 1910.
 
Unlike John Coltrane or Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler was not a virtuoso who had come up through the bebop ranks. His first musical jobs were in R&B bands, including one led by Little Walter, although oddly enough he was nicknamed Little Bird in his early days because of a similarity in sound on alto to Charlie Parker. During his period in the army (1958-1961), he played in a service band and switched to tenor. Unable to find work in the U.S. after his discharge due to his uncompromising style, Ayler spent time in Sweden and Denmark during 1962-1963, making his first recordings (which reveal a tone with roots in Sonny Rollins) and working a bit with Cecil Taylor. Aylers prime period was during 1964-1967. In 1964, he toured Europe with a quartet that included Don Cherry and was generally quite free and emotional. The following year he had a new band with his brother Donald Ayler on trumpet and Charles Tyler on baritone, and the emphasis in his music began to change. Folk melodies (which had been utilized a bit with Cherry) had a more dominant role, as did collective improvisation, and yet, despite the use of spaced-out marches, Irish jigs, and brass band fanfares, tonally Ayler remained quite free. His ESP recordings from this era and his first couple of Impulse records find Ayler at his peak and were influential; John Coltranes post-1964 playing was definitely affected by Aylers innovations.
 
However, during his last couple of years, Albert Aylers career seemed to become a bit aimless and his final Impulse sessions, although experimental (with the use of vocals, rock guitar, and R&B-ish tunes), were at best mixed successes. A 1970 live concert that was ed features him back in top form, but in November 1970, Ayler was found drowned in New Yorks East River under mysterious circumstances.