Early Press

John Coltrane - The Other Village Vanguard Tapes (1961) {Impulse! Japan, 55XD-590~591, Early Press, 2CD}
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© 1961, 1987 Impulse! / MCA Records Japan | 55XD-590~591
Jazz / Modal Music / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

John Coltrane is undoubtedly in the upper echelon of elite jazz musicians, but deciding which album to listen to is complicated because his sound changed every week. Some groups exhaust a sound or just feel compelled to change direction, while some bands successfully keep the same sound for decades. The currency of Coltrane’s assessment is practically in days, not years. Was Coltrane content as a relentless explorer, or was he a tortured soul who constantly yearned for something else? In any case, choosing an album requires considering where it falls along his musical spectrum. The album The Other Village Vanguard Tapes was recorded in late 1961, when the improvising was very free and modal, but the rhythms had a strong pulse. It stands at the fifty yard line between his early outings and his later “out there” freer stuff.

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1962) {Impulse! Japan, 32XD-587, Early Press}
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© 1962, 1987 Impulse! / MCA Records / Warner-Pioneer Japan | 32XD-587
Jazz / Cool Jazz / Post Bop / Mainstream Jazz / Piano / Saxophone

Digitally remastered from the original stereo master tapes. A seminal meeting of the old and new generations of jazz in the 60s – put together in perfect Impulse fashion! At some level, this is actually an early 60s John Coltrane Quartet album – with Duke Ellington sitting in for McCoy Tyner on piano, as that's the lineup on about half of the album – tracks that feature Coltrane on tenor, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison on bass, all working with Ellington on the keys. On other titles, though, the album features Coltrane playing with a Duke-ish trio that has Aaron Bell on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums – slightly less modern, but with a nice sense of depth throughout! Overall, the the record does a great job of balancing between the best talents of both players.

John Coltrane - Selflessness featuring My Favorite Things (1969) {Impulse! Japan, 32XD-585, Early Press}
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© 1963, 1965, 1987 Impulse! / MCA Records / Warner-Pioneer Japan | 32XD-585
Jazz / Free Jazz / Post Bop / Modal Music / Saxophone

In the context of the decades since his passing and the legacy that's continued to grow, John Coltrane's Selflessness album bears an odd similarity to Bob Dylan's autobiographical book Chronicles. In Chronicles, Dylan tells the tale of his beginnings, jumping abruptly and confoundingly from his early years to life and work after his 1966 motorcycle accident, omitting any mention of his most popular and curious electric era. The contrast between these two eras becomes more vivid with the deletion of the years and events that bridged them. Released in 1965, Selflessness presents long-form pieces, likewise from two very distinct and separate eras of Coltrane's development.

Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert (1975) {ECM, 810 067-2, Early Press, W.Germany for Japan}
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© 1975, 1983 ECM Records | 810 067-2
Jazz / Modern Creative / Post-Bop / Piano

A genre-defining moment from pianist Keith Jarrett – a record that really set the world on fire, and which continues to charm all these many decades later! Although Jarrett had already made some amazing music in a trio setting during the 60s, and in his more freewheeling groups with Dewey Redman in the early 70s, it's this sort of format that forever put him on the map – long, extended improvised passages on solo piano – played at a level that's still extremely lyrical, tuneful, and thoughtful – quite different than the free jazz waves that were building at the time! And while so many other people copied the style over the years, nobody does it better than Jarrett – especially on this landmark outing for the style. The work is amazing – extremely compelling as little melodies drift in and out of the waves of piano improvisation – without any of the sloppiness of some of Jarrett's imitators, and a surprising sense of soul and direction throughout!

Lee Morgan - Candy (1958) {Blue Note Japan, CP32-5226, Early Press}
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© 1958, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba-EMI Japan | CP32-5226
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

A very different album for Lee Morgan – especially in comparison with his other early sessions! The record is a gentle batch of ballads and standards, played by Morgan with a quartet that includes Sonny Clark on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all beautifully poised to help Lee hit just the right notes in the set. The album's a crucial one, in that it gives Lee Morgan a chance to show off a warmer, mellower, and more introspective style – after first coming onto the scene as a stormer on his first few sessions. The whole thing's great, and a really important part of Morgan's catalog – and an album that was sadly "lost" in the Blue Note catalog for years, due to a too-short initial release!

Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue (1963) {Blue Note, CP32-5229, Japan Early Press}
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© 1963, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba-EMI | CP32-5229
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Guitar

Great great stuff – and for some folks, THE album by Kenny Burrell! This classic set features the guitarist in a quintet with Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Major Holly on bass, Bill English on drums, and the great Ray Barretto on conga – a really great lineup that sparkles with soulful imagination, and moves with a very rhythmic groove – thanks to Ray's extra percussion contribution on the bottom! Burrell's guitar somehow seems a bit harder and grittier than ever – and titles include the classic groover "Chittlins Con Carne", an early jazz dance classic – plus "Soul Lament", "Wavy Gravy", and "Mule".

Sarah Vaughan - At Mister Kelly's - Complete Version (1957) {Emarcy Japan, 32JD-10080, Early Press rel 1987}
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© 1957, 1987 Emarcy Japan | 32JD-10080
Jazz / Vocal Jazz

During the mid-'50s, Sarah Vaughan spent most of her time recording songbook standards backed by a large orchestra in florid arrangements, with only the occasional breath of fresh air like her masterpiece, 1954's Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown. Four years after that milestone, another landed with the live album At Mister Kelly's. Recorded quite early in the days of the live LP, the album captured Vaughan at her best and most relaxed, stretching out on a set of late-night torch songs and ballads.

Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away (1959) {BlueNote Japan, CP32-5246, Early Press}
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© 1959, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba EMI Japan | CP32-5246
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Piano

A killer session from Horace's famous quintet that included Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor, and Louis Hayes – one of the group's earliest recordings for Blue Note – and also one of their best! The band had a unique mix of rootsy soul jazz playing and more exotic approaches to arranging, playing in a way that manages to bring jazz funk mind, even at this early of a point – along with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty. The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the title track, "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Sister Sadie", "Break City", "St. Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace".

Thelonious Monk - Solo On Vogue (1954) {Vogue Japan, K32Y-6087, Early Press}
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© 1954, 1986 Vogue / King Record Japan | K32Y-6087
Jazz / Bop / Piano Solo

Recorded June 7, 1954, Paris. Jewel case with stick-on obi. Eight-page booklet includes liner notes in Japanese and one page of uncredited notes in English. This reissue of the Everest LP Piano Solos by Thelonious Monk showcases the great composer and innovator on eight tunes, recorded in 1954. While "'Round Midnight," is here, so is "Off Minor," "Well You Needn't," and his gorgeous reading of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." If you own any of the Riverside or Columbia sides of Monk playing alone, you still need this, because these readings are very different. King Record gets kudos for re-releasing this one, even if it came from a pristine vinyl copy.

The French equivalent of prog-rock bands Yes and Genesis, Atoll recorded four albums in the mid- to late '70s with a lineup that stabilized by the time of the group's second album. L'Araignee Mal (1975) included vocalist/percussionist André Balzer, guitarist Christian Beya, bassist Jean-Luc Thillot, keyboard player Michel Taillet, and drummer Alain Gozzo. Gradually commercializing its sound beginning with third album Tertio, Atoll released only one more studio album Rock Puzzle before breaking up. In the late '80s, however, a new, pop-oriented version appeared. Including only Beya from the previous lineup, the band released L'Ocean and the live album Tokyo C'est Fini (both 1989).