John Coltrane - The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording (1967)

This posthumous release, recorded at the Olatunji Center for African Culture in Harlem, emphasizes the direction Coltrane was heading at the end of his career. The ensemble had expanded in numbers, adding another horn with Pharoah Sanders. McCoy had left the group and was replaced by Coltrane's wife Alice on piano, and Rashied Ali sat in place of Elvin Jones. Only Jimmy Garrison remained as the veteran from the A Love Supreme days. Trane was known to use two bass players as well, usually enlisting Art Davis, but Jimmy holds it down here solo. I think the two pieces selected are great contrast - "Ogunde", one of Coltrane's last compositions, and "My Favorite Things", his biggest commercial hit and probably most played tune. Of course Coltrane's style had changed immensely since his 1961 version of the tune. By the end of his career, a show would consist only of two or three selections, each running for about half an hour, maybe playing the head once or twice. He was finished with exploring scales and harmonic structure and was now probing the depths of the instrument (multiphonics). The sounds, tone and power of his playing are indescribable, it feels almost useless to try and write anything. Please listen, and comment if you dig this.

1. Introduction by Billy Taylor
2. Ogunde
3. My Favorite Things

Personnel:

John Coltrane, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Pharoah Sanders, tenor saxophone
Alice Coltrane, piano
Jimmy Garrison, bass
Rashied Ali, drums
Algie DeWitt, Batá drum
(possibly) Jumma Santos, percussion

Recorded April 1967 in New York City

Impulse! 314 589 120-2

Download

John Coltrane - The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions (1961) (320)

"'Trane was the Father...Pharoah was the son...I am the Holy Ghost."

Thus spoke Albert Ayler. The more I think about this quote the truer it rings, which is why I'm making it the theme for my next few posts. This is Trane's first Impulse! album, and the first that I've posted featuring his soprano sax playing. Trane and pianist McCoy Tyner did the arrangements, turning the traditional English song "Greensleeves" into a showcase for soprano sax virtuosity and punchy horn lines. Eric Dolphy is featured here, another player who I believe influenced Trane's musical directions as Ayler did. Pat Patrick's here as well, best known for his tenure with Sun Ra. I've omitted the names of the French Horn players from the tags due to character limit. I need to get around to posting more of my Coltrane collection, but look for some Pharoah Sanders and Albert Ayler in coming days.

Tracklist:

1. Greensleeves
2. Song Of The Underground Railroad
3. Greensleeves (Alternate Take)
4. The Damned Don't Cry
5. Africa (First Version)
6. Blues Minor
7. Africa (Alternate Take)
8. Africa

Booker Little, trumpet
Britt Woodman, trombone
Carl Bowman, euphonium
Julius Watkins, Donald Corrado, Bob Northern, Robert Swisshelm, French horns
Bill Barber, tuba
Eric Dolphy, alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet
Pat Patrick, baritone saxophone
John Coltrane, tenor saxophone
McCoy Tyner, piano
Reggie Workman, bass
Art Davis, bass on Africa only
Elvin Jones, drums

Original sessions produced by Creed Taylor
Reissue produced by Michael Cuscuna
Recording Engineer: Rudy Van Gelder
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on June 4, 1961.

Photography: Ted Russell, Don Parent, Chuck Stewart
Art Direction: Hollis King
Graphic design: Jackie Thaw

Impulse!
IMPD-2-168

Download Disc 1 (Tracks 1-5)
Download Disc 2 (Tracks 6-8)

John Coltrane - Lush Life (1958) (320)

The recording of John Coltrane's Lush Life took place in three sessions, two in 1957 and one in 1958. The first three tracks are performed in a trio setting, beginning with the ballad "Like Someone In Love". Here Trane combines a slow, smooth tone with fast melodic runs. The second number, "I Love You", opens with an exotic drum and bass rhythm. Bassist Earl May and drummer Arthur Taylor move between this rhythm for Trane's melody and straight swing for the improvisation. After the third piece, "Trane's Slo Blues", Lush Life moves in a new direction. Trane's arrangement of the Billy Strayhorn piece is much longer than the other selections on the album, and features solos from pianist Red Garland and trumpeter Donald Byrd. The rhythm section explores different ways of playing under the improvisers, sometimes with very minimal accompaniment. Lush Life is a fantastic example of Trane's mastery of straight-ahead chord changes.

Tracklist:

1. Like Someone In Love
2. I Love You
3. Trane's Slo Blues
4. Lush Life
5. I Hear A Rhapsody

Personnel:

John Coltrane, tenor saxophone
with
On #1-3
Earl May, bass
Arthur Taylor, drums

Other selections:
Donald Byrd, trumpet (#4)
Red Garland, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Louis Hayes, drums (#4)
Albert "Tootie" Heath, drums (#5)

Supervision by Bob Weinstock
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ on May 31 (#5) and August 16 (1-3), 1957; January 10, 1958 (4).

Mastering - Joe Tarantino (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley)
Cover photo - Esmond Edwards

Prestige
Prestige PRSA-7188-6

Download

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1960) (320)

Giant Steps might be the best showcase for Coltrane's virtuosity and incredible harmonic vocabulary. Trane burns through the title track, a piece with a chord progression so complex that it has become infamous over the years, and since dubbed "Coltrane changes". His solo in "Giant Steps" seems effortless despite the difficult progression and fast tempo. Contrast this with his playing in "Naima", a ballad Trane wrote for his first wife, Juanita Naima (he married Alice in the mid-60's). The recording sessions of Giant Steps span a couple months of 1959, and Coltrane uses several different lineups.

Tracklist:

1. Giant Steps
2. Cousin Mary
3. Countdown
4. Spiral
5. Syeeda's Song Flute
6. Naima
7. Mr. P.C.
8. Giant Steps (Alternate Version 1)
9. Naima (Alternate Version 1)
10. Cousin Mary (Alternate Take)
11. Countdown (Alternate Take)
12. Syeeda's Song Flute (Alternate Take)
13. Giant Steps (Alternate Version 2)
14. Naima (Alternate Version 2)
15. Giant Steps (Alternate Take)

Download

Personnel:

Recorded May 4 and May 5, 1959: main take tracks 1–5, 7; alternative take tracks 10–12, and additional alternative track 15.

John Coltrane — tenor saxophone
Tommy Flanagan — piano
Paul Chambers — bass
Art Taylor — drums

Recorded December 2, 1959: main take track 6

Wynton Kelly — piano
Jimmy Cobb — drums

Recorded April 1 (March 26 according to Rhino liner notes) 1959: alternative tracks 8 and 9, and additional alternative tracks 13 and 14

Cedar Walton — piano
Lex Humphries — drums

John Coltrane - Blue Train (1957) (320)

I've been on a John Coltrane binge recently, so I'll be uploading a few of his recordings in the near future. My collection focuses more on his later, Impulse! years, but I decided to post Blue Train first. This album features some of Trane's best hard bop playing. The title track has become a classic blues number: Coltrane and trombonist Curtis Fuller playing the recognizable melody before Lee Morgan comes in with the harmony. When the rhythm section joins, they start swinging, and Trane soars over the changes with his opening solo. Coltrane gets help from some phenomenal players on this session: Lee Morgan burns on the fast bop numbers, showing off his range and incredible chops. And Curtis Fuller kills it, too, proving that jazz trombone should really be more commonplace. The trombone harmonies add a fullness to the sound, and Fuller can keep up with the fast changes as well. Fuller also plays a smooth solo on the ballad "I'm Old Fashioned" (the only piece on the album that Coltrane did not compose). It's interesting to compare this recording to the later Coltrane, where he works outside the melodic rules that he displays mastery of on Blue Train. This version has two extra tracks, alternate versions of "Blue Train" and "Lazy Bird".

Tracklist:

1. Blue Train
2. Moment's Notice
3. Locomotion
4. I'm Old Fashioned
5. Lazy Bird
6. Blue Train (Alternate Take)
7. Lazy Bird (Alternate Take)

Personnel:

John Coltrane, tenor saxophone
Lee Morgan, trumpet
Curtis Fuller, trombone
Kenny Drew, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Philly Joe Jones, drums

Produced by Alfred Lion
Recorded on September 15, 1957 at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey
Originally recorded and remastered in 2003 by Rudy Van Gelder
All transfers from the analog tapes to digital were made at 24-bit resolution
Reissue produced by Michael Cuscuna
Cover photograph: Francis Wolff
Cover design: Reid Miles
Liner photographs from the actual session by Francis Wolff © Mosaic Images

#1-5 originally issued as BST 81577

Blue Note Records
7243 4 95326 2 5

Download

Miles Davis - Workin' With The Miles Davis Quintet (1956) (320)

This 1956 recording features Miles and his first Classic Quintet: John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Miles' famous Harmon mute playing can be heard on two pieces: "It Never Entered My Mind" (also covered by Frank Sinatra on In The Wee Small Hours"), as well as the standard "In Your Own Sweet Way". On "It Never Entered My Mind", Red Garland's piano solo is sandwiched by Miles's beautiful stylization of the melody. The ballad exemplifies Miles' distinct playing - his tone and style are instantly recognizable even playing a simple melody. Two blues numbers are featured: "Trane's Blues", composed by John Coltrane, followed by "Ahmad's Blues", composed by one of Miles' favorite pianists, Ahmad Jamal. The album has its intermission with "The Theme" (Take 1), and concludes with "The Theme" (Take 2). The following year, Trane would release his debut for Prestige.

Tracklist:

1. It Never Entered My Mind
2. Four
3. In Your Own Sweet Way
4. The Theme (Take 1)
5. Trane's Blues
6. Ahmad's Blues
7. Half Nelson
8. The Theme (Take 2)

Personnel:

Miles Davis, trumpet (except #6)
John Coltrane, tenor saxophone (except #6)
Red Garland, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Philly Joe Jones, drums

Supervision by Bob Weinstock
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ; May 11, 1956. ("Half Nelson" recorded October 26, 1956.)
Cover photo - Esmond Edwards
Mastering engineer - Shigeo Miyamoto under supervision of Tamaki Beck for JVC Studios
This album is remastered using 20-bit A/D converter with digital K2 Interface.

Prestige
PRCD-7166-2

Download