Afro Blue Impressions

Occupation

Afro Blue Impressions is a jazz album by John Coltrane, recorded at two concerts in Europe in Berlin and Stockholm on 11 April and 22 October in 1963 and released in 1977 on Pablo Records. For the fiftieth anniversary of the live recording in 2013, the album was supplemented by three previously unreleased tracks, re-released on Concord Records; for their liner notes Neil Tesser won a Grammy.

The album

From 1961 to 1963, Norman Granz, who organized the European tours for Coltrane, a total of 37 titles in Coltrane's live performances, which initially remained unpublished ( such as an appearance of the Coltrane band in Hamburg in 1961, with Eric Dolphy as a guest musician ). Norman Granz eventually published many of these photographs the mid-1970s appeared on his newly formed Pablo label, on which then the Coltrane albums The Paris Concert, The European Tour and Bye Bye Blackbird November 1962. From two concert recordings, finally, came the material published in 1977 double album Afro Blue Impressions. Most of the tracks, known tracks from Coltrane's former repertoire as " Lonnie 's Lament ", " Naima ", " Chasin 'the Trane ," " My Favorite Things ", " Afro Blue ," " Cousin Mary " and " I Want to Talk About You " the Berlin Jazz Days were recorded in the Auditorium Maximum of the Free University in West Berlin in the frame. The title "Spiritual " and " Impressions" were recorded at a concert in Stockholm on 22 October 1963.

" Lonnie 's Lament " is over long distances a duo of Coltrane and Elvin Jones; Coltrane biographer and Filtgen Except Bauer refer to it as the most successful piece of the plate. The following ballad " Naima " contains a longer first atmospheric solo by McCoy Tyner, until gradually the trio game is compressed and Coltrane returns with his forciertem freer play. " Chasin 'the Trane " played in 1961 ( heard in Coltrane "Live" at the Village Vanguard ) for the first time, is shown here in a much shorter form. In Coltrane classic from 1960, here on the 20-minute " My Favorite Things " expands the saxophonist his improvisational accordingly. Tyner begins with a powerful solo game in which Coltrane immediately goes to the soprano. After about five minutes Tyner returns with a powerful long solo, then sets Coltrane on his second solo. " Afro Blue ", composed by Mongo Santamaria, the first piece of the second LP / CD is strongly reminiscent of " My Favorite Things " by his lecture on the soprano; However, it differs only slightly from the version on the Impulse album Live at Birdland; the following interpretation of "Cousin Mary ", however, stands out due to freer play of the 1959 Giant Steps taken for original version. After the thematic introduction is followed by a lengthy piano solo from Tyner. In the compacted by Garrison and Jones play Coltrane enters with a longer solo, which he enhances with Überblas techniques to briefly return to the conclusion on the topic. The Billy Eckstine ballad " I Want to Talk About You" Coltrane played the first one on his Prestige album Soul Trane in 1958. As in " Naima " Coltrane shows the mastery of ballads game.

The last two pieces, "Spiritual " and " Impressions" offer the view of Filtgen and out farmer over the previous versions at the Village Vanguard concerts in November 1961 is not much new.

Album Review

Richard Cook and Brian Morton, the album awarded in their Penguin Guide to Jazz the highest rating, describe it as one of the most recommended live albums of the saxophonist, as it counted the most careful productions outside of the series of albums, which at this stage for Coltrane impulse! Records recorded. The album is with " Lonnie 's Lament " a taste of the Crescent album, which was created in April and June 1964. John Coltrane's solos in "Spiritual " and " I Want to Talk About You" were exceptional, the rest of the shots almost essential. Garrison play powerfully in " Lonnie 's Lament ".

The title

  • John Coltrane Quartet - Afro Blue Impressions ( Pablo Live 2620101 )

CD 1

CD 2

33505
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