John Coltrane Live in Japan

John Coltrane - Live In Japan Vol.1 (1966) {Impulse! Japan, 55XD-573~574, Early Press, 2CD}
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© 1966, 1987 Impulse! / MCA Records Japan | 55XD-573~574
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

This very interesting four-CD set contains two sets of music by the 1966 John Coltrane Quintet, recorded in Tokyo, Japan. Most of the music had not been released in the United States until 1991. Coltrane (heard on tenor, soprano, and alto) engages in some ferocious interplay with Pharoah Sanders (on tenor, alto, and bass clarinet), pianist Alice Coltrane, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Rashied Ali; fans of Trane's earlier records may not like these atonal flights. However, listeners who enjoy avant-garde jazz will find many stirring moments among the very lengthy performances. The shortest piece is the 25-minute version of "Peace on Earth," and "My Favorite Things" goes on for over 57 minutes.

John Coltrane - Live In Japan Vol.2 (1966) {Impulse! Japan, 55XD-579~580, Early Press, 2CD}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 610 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 289 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 161 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1966, 1987 Impulse! / MCA Records Japan | 55XD-579~580
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

This very interesting four-CD set contains two sets of music by the 1966 John Coltrane Quintet, recorded in Tokyo, Japan. Most of the music had not been released in the United States until 1991. Coltrane (heard on tenor, soprano, and alto) engages in some ferocious interplay with Pharoah Sanders (on tenor, alto, and bass clarinet), pianist Alice Coltrane, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Rashied Ali; fans of Trane's earlier records may not like these atonal flights. However, listeners who enjoy avant-garde jazz will find many stirring moments among the very lengthy performances. The shortest piece is the 25-minute version of "Peace on Earth," and "My Favorite Things" goes on for over 57 minutes.

Miles Davis & John Coltrane - Live In New York (1957~63) {Bandstand Japan, 32JDB-133, Early Press}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 158 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 96 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 99 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957-63, 1987 Bandstand / Tokuma Japan | 32JDB-133
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Music / Trumpet / Saxophone

First the caveats (and I am providing them for historical accuracy, so please do not take them as complaints.) Coltrane is only on half of the tracks (Four, Walkin' and So What). One of the tracks, So What, while technically a live performance was actually a canned performance that was broadcast from CBS-TV Studio 61, New York City on April 2, 1959. This was from a recently discovered video of a broadcast for a series titled The Robert Herridge Theater.

The fifth and final volume in Universal's massive John Coltrane: The Impulse! Albums in the Originals series, contains five recordings, all issued posthumously between 1970 and 1973. Two of these, Transition and Sun Ship, feature Coltrane's classic quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. Of the remaining albums, two are live recordings – Live in Seattle and Concert in Japan – the remaining one being the infamous Infinity.

Vibraphonist Milt Jackson and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane make for a surprisingly complementary team on this 1959 studio session, their only joint recording. With fine backup by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Connie Kay, Bags and Trane stretch out on two of Jackson's originals (including "The Late Late Blues") and three standards: a romping "Three Little Words," "The Night We Called It a Day," and the rapid "Be-Bop."

Vibraphonist Milt Jackson and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane make for a surprisingly complementary team on this 1959 studio session, their only joint recording. With fine backup by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Connie Kay, Bags and Trane stretch out on two of Jackson's originals (including "The Late Late Blues") and three standards: a romping "Three Little Words," "The Night We Called It a Day," and the rapid "Be-Bop."

John Coltrane - Live at The Village Vanguard Again! (1966) {Impulse! Japan, 32XD-598, Early Press}
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© 1966, 1987 Impulse! / MCA Records Japan | 32XD-598
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

Live at the Village Vanguard Again! is one of the more hotly contested albums in John Coltrane's catalog. Released less than a year before his death, the original recording showcased his new quintet with Alice Coltrane, piano; Pharoah Sanders, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Garrison, bass; and Rashied Ali, drums. Additional percussion on the date was provided by Emanuel Rahim. The three selections here are what survive from a much longer tape. Coltrane's signature ballad "Naima" opens the album and goes on for over 15 minutes. One of the most iconic tunes in his repertoire, the treatment it is given here is radical. While the melody is referenced in the beginning, Coltrane moves it aside fairly quickly to concentrate on improvisation.

John Coltrane - Live Trane - The European Tours (2001) {7CD Pablo-Victor Japan VICJ-60831~7 20bit K2 Mastering rec 1961-1963}
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© 1961-63, 2001 Pablo Records / Fantasy / Victor Japan | VICJ-60831~7 | 20bit K2 Mastering
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Music / Saxophone

The seven-CD set Live Trane expands upon Pablo's earlier CDs of John Coltrane recorded during his European tours between 1961 and 1963, including all of The Paris Concert, Bye Bye Blackbird, The European Tour, and Afro Blue Impressions, and supplementing them with extra songs from most of these concerts. Of the 37 tracks, 19 have not previously appeared commercially (except on a number of European bootleg labels with sound ranging from barely acceptable to horrendous), and a 1961 Hamburg concert with Eric Dolphy makes its debut here. A number of titles are repeated throughout the set – six takes of "My Favorite Things" and five versions of both "Impressions" and "Mr. P.C.," along with four takes of "Naima" – but true Coltrane fans will marvel at the differences between them from one concert to the next.

John Coltrane - Live At The Village Vanguard Again! (1966) {Impulse!-Verve Originals B0015827-2 rel 2011}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 293 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 98 Mb
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© 1966, 2011 Impulse! / Verve / UMG | Verve Originals Series | B0015827-2 | LP AS-9124
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Free Jazz / Post Bop / Saxophone

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later Coltrane years – plus some of the freedoms learned from the Love Supreme era. The group here showcases the new territory explored by Coltrane – with Trane himself on tenor, soprano, and a bit of bass clarinet (echoing earlier Dolphy), plus Pharoah Sanders on additional tenor, Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rasheid Ali on drums. The album only features 2 long tracks – an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison!