|
Post by jazzhead on Aug 26, 2021 17:47:42 GMT
Just read this on Stereogum: Preview John Coltrane’s Previously Unreleased A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle Featuring Pharoah Sanders It’s been over 50 years after John Coltrane’s death and we’re still discovering new recordings. The jazz legend rarely played his 1965 masterpiece A Love Supreme live, and until now, the only recorded public performance available took place at a French festival in 1965. But now, following the release of the lost album Both Directions At Once and Blue World, Impulse! has announced A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle, a private recording of a rare nightclub performance from the collection of saxophonist and educator Joe Brazil. Recorded in October 1965 during the final performance of a week-long run at The Penthouse in Seattle, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle features Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders on saxophone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison and Donald Rafael Garrett on bass; Carlos Ward also sat in. The music was recorded with a two-microphone set-up onstage connected to an Ampex reel-to-reel machine. “What’s remarkable is that tapes from this era often suffer over the years from heat or moisture damage, or simply being stacked horizontally,” says engineer Kevin Reeves, who restored and mastered A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle. “However, these tapes are in excellent condition… and the results are among the best amateur recordings of John Coltrane we’ve had the pleasure to work on.” Listen to the album’s live rendition of “A Love Supreme, Pt. IV – Psalm” below. A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is out 10/8 via Impulse!/UMe. Pre-order it here. www.stereogum.com/2158781/preview-john-coltranes-previously-unreleased-a-love-supreme-live-in-seattle-featuring-pharoah-sanders/music/
|
|
|
Post by Doom Girl on Aug 26, 2021 18:52:59 GMT
An exciting development! Thank you for the information. Looking at my copy of the Impulse 2-record set, LIVE IN SEATTLE, I see of course that Donald Garrett is listed as playing bass clarinet, not bass, as he is on this new A Love Supreme. There is an amusing story about this (which may be correct?)- Dutch musician Cornelis Hazevoet wrote:
"Over the years, in liners, books and lists, Don Garrett has been attributed with playing bass clarinet. This is wrong. The man only played bass and clarinet (the small and straight horn, that is)... In 1975, Garrett played in my band and I've specifically asked him about it (because I already felt something was wrong with it). He most specifically and pertinently told me that he never played bass clarinet in his entire life, only the small, straight horn (which he played in my band too)... Perhaps, the error originated from the fact that Garrett was listed somewhere as playing 'bass, clarinet', which subsequently evolved into 'bass clarinet'. Whatever is the case, Garrett did not play bass clarinet on any Coltrane record nor anywhere else."
|
|
|
Post by dottorjazz on Aug 29, 2021 19:41:40 GMT
didn't know this, thanks for sharing.
|
|
|
Post by jazzhead on Oct 21, 2021 8:10:25 GMT
|
|
dg
Full Member
Posts: 128
|
Post by dg on Oct 21, 2021 18:47:25 GMT
Thanks for the link - it's a nice article about Coltrane and A Love Supreme. While at the New York Times site I saw an article about the making and sale of vinyl records, which includes the comment: "In the first six months of this year, 17 million vinyl records were sold in the United States, generating $467 million in retail revenue, nearly double the amount from the same period in 2020, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Sixteen million CDs were also sold in the first half of 2021, worth just $205 million. Physical recordings are now just a sliver of the overall music business — streaming is 84 percent of domestic revenue — but they can be a strong indication of fan loyalty..." www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/arts/music/vinyl-records-delays.html
|
|
|
Post by jazzhead on Oct 22, 2021 7:16:59 GMT
Thanks for the link - it's a nice article about Coltrane and A Love Supreme. While at the New York Times site I saw an article about the making and sale of vinyl records, which includes the comment: "In the first six months of this year, 17 million vinyl records were sold in the United States, generating $467 million in retail revenue, nearly double the amount from the same period in 2020, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Sixteen million CDs were also sold in the first half of 2021, worth just $205 million. Physical recordings are now just a sliver of the overall music business — streaming is 84 percent of domestic revenue — but they can be a strong indication of fan loyalty..." www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/arts/music/vinyl-records-delays.htmlOne day, people that pay to stream music are going to wake up and realise that they own zero music by their favourite musicians.
|
|
|
Post by jazzhead on Oct 22, 2021 7:17:18 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Doom Girl on Nov 2, 2021 18:39:16 GMT
I have received my copy of the new album A LOVE SUPREME LIVE IN SEATTLE. The album should be of great interest to many who love the original album, as I do, and those interested in the arc of Coltrane’s musical career and development. Unfortunately, being recorded in a club and not by professional audio technicians, it has several technical flaws, including a marked imbalance of instruments – the piano and especially the drums being given great precedence at the expense of the horns and especially the two basses, tracks being cut off abruptly and the inclusion of three “Interludes” which feature long drum and bass solos, whose relationship to the organization of the piece is unclear.
All of that being said, release of the recordings is an important event for those who admire Coltrane’s work. The addition of three musicians – Pharoah Sanders, tenor sax, Carlos Ward, alto, Donald Garrett, bass – signals, in a way the death knell of the classic quartet. To a large extent, however, at this early point in the shift of Coltrane’s focus, the “extra” musicians remain peripheral. The core of the group, especially on this version of “A Love Supreme,” remains the quartet. I find the interactions among the four to be extraordinary, with Tyner, Garrison, and especially Jones ready and able to follow their leader anywhere, even to the furthest reaches of extreme passion and expressivity. When listening to Coltrane’s solos in Resolution and Pursuance, I often marveled at the accompaniment, which was always complementing, encouraging or even leading the soloist. The rendition of Psalm in this “live” version eschews the tenor sax “recitation” of the lyrics, as on the studio album, for a freer and more ecstatically passionate version, with the three other players again providing perfect accompaniment. This is a beautiful new version of Psalm.
Hearing this piece makes me wonder once again why Coltrane felt so compelled to expand the group, especially with musicians who were at lower technical levels of instrumental technique and accomplishment. I had often surmised that it was to inject new vitality and vigor to the band, to expand its emotional repertoire. But here I find that it was Coltrane himself that was developing the new voice with the apparent encouragement of his three long-term accomplices. Sanders comes on with a more extreme version of the tenor sax voice, a preference for the altissimo range and overtones, raspy and snarling – but he seems, in this context, almost a caricature of Coltrane’s own ideas and development. For me, a striking and moving moment on the album comes at the very entry of Sanders’ first extended sax solo. After Coltrane, who has been playing with (as Lewis Porter describes in the liner notes) “a warm and powerful sound,” Sander’s comes in, all snarling and growling – and in a heartbeat, Tyner and Jones explode in an overwhelming volley of drums and chords, almost as if they are battling this new beast in their midst. At first listen, I found this an attractive notion, but as the piece went on I found that Tyner and Jones were as apt and capable of letting loose these moments of apparent Armageddon wherever it was needed, whether in response to the voice of their leader himself or even the alto of the humble Ward. Taken as a whole, the album again confirms the almost superhuman abilities of this quartet of players, perhaps most definitely, of Elvin Jones. The emphasis on the drums in the mix makes it impossible to ignore his technical excellence and in particular, his contribution to the creation of the band’s sound.
In many regards, I find this new album more important and informative than LIVE IN SEATTLE recorded at the same date (and released in 1971). For many decades I have had a mint original of this two record set in my collection – and it remains in near mint condition because it is one of my least favorite Coltrane albums – I probably have listened to it no more than two or three times in as many decades. On some cuts I thought that Sanders was distractedly at odds with Tyner, unwilling – or unable – to take his cue from other musicians, over and over again playing notes that bore virtually no harmonic relationship to, but rather clashed abysmally, with what Tyner and Garrison were playing, ignoring Jones’ expert prodding toward rhythmic climaxes, etc, etc. Sometimes I felt almost embarrassed for Tyner as he strived mightily to “accompany” Sanders – for example, playing long trills, as if to mimic Sander’s wavering tone - but perhaps he was mocking the tenor player rather than gamely attempting to complement him. (I have admired Sanders’ playing on many subsequent albums, including LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD AGAIN! and on some of his own albums, particularly his first albums as a leader with Impulse. I even think that his version of “Ole” on HEART IS A MELODY, on the Theresa label, outdoes Coltane’s own version in some respects.
In summary, this is an album that will bear repeated listening and is well worth adding to any Coltrane collection.
Concurrently, I have also finished reading DR. FAUSTUS, Thomas Mann’s epic retelling of the classic Faust story of a man who sells his soul to Satan in order to achieve greatness – to be the very best in some sphere during his lifetime. In this version of the legend, the life story of the fictional composer, Adrian Leverkühn, is told. It is set in Germany in the late 19th century and on through the First World War, through the rise of Hitler and the beginning of the Second World War. The story of this one man’s life, Leverkühn’s, is posed as a reflection of, in some cases a foreshadowing of, world events. Leverkühn initially studies theology, achieving a doctoral degree in the subject, but soon returns to his first love, of music. He wishes to revolutionize music, to eventually create a kind of antithesis of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. In the story, he is posited as the discoverer and developer of the twelve-tone technique. (In a postscript Mann acknowledges the true developer, Arnold Schoenberg, and explains that much of the musical discussion in the book is based on Schoenberg’s great THEORIES OF HARMONY). In the end, Leverkühn calls together a group of his friends and acquaintances and confesses to the crimes he has been responsible for – the deaths of one of his best friends and even of his own sister’s child. By this point, the assembled group take Leverkühn to simply be a madman, and the story is so cleverly structured by Mann that it remains unclear if Leverkühn was indeed responsible for the foul deeds he confesses, or, for that matter, had ever really met and made a bargain with “Satan” – or was it all just in his mind?
There have been many interpretations of the classic Faust legend. We wonder why there is a cultural need for such a story, which has been retold in almost countless versions – in the great plays by Goethe and Marlowe and in numerous operas, books and movies. One reason may be that we average, imperfect humans have a hard time understanding where and how true and undeniable genius originates and develops. What accounts for an Albert Einstein, a Bach or a Mozart, or, for some, a John Coltrane or Miles Davis? It seems that some people need an explanatory superhuman element – a spiritual gift beyond understanding - perhaps a bargain with the devil? Though this may sound silly, think of the notions of witchcraft, or of shamanism – the belief among many throughout the ages that people who have developed some special knowledge or ability – of efficacious medical treatments or “cures”, an ability to predict the weather, a special understanding of the habits of animals, a special political acumen, or even a talent to lead the masses – most be in league with the devil or other spiritual elements. Some may think that men such as Hitler or Stalin made a pact with an Evil One. If you believe that humanity has moved beyond such superstitions, think again; think of those who idolize certain right-wing "leaders," imagining they will root out the evils of liberals who surely must engage in bizarre sex practices and drink the blood of children in the basements of Washington D.C. pizza parlors.
|
|
markustubesnow-temp
Guest
|
Post by markustubesnow-temp on Aug 21, 2022 16:27:01 GMT
@doom Girl Jeez. I really enjoyed your thoughtful post. Especially this part:
...In many regards, I find this new album more important and informative than LIVE IN SEATTLE recorded at the same date (and released in 1971). For many decades I have had a mint original of this two record set in my collection – and it remains in near mint condition because it is one of my least favorite Coltrane albums – I probably have listened to it no more than two or three times in as many decades. On some cuts I thought that Sanders was distractedly at odds with Tyner, unwilling – or unable – to take his cue from other musicians, over and over again playing notes that bore virtually no harmonic relationship to, but rather clashed abysmally, with what Tyner and Garrison were playing, ignoring Jones’ expert prodding toward rhythmic climaxes, etc, etc. Sometimes I felt almost embarrassed for Tyner as he strived mightily to “accompany” Sanders – for example, playing long trills, as if to mimic Sander’s wavering tone - but perhaps he was mocking the tenor player rather than gamely attempting to complement him...
Thanks
|
|
|
Post by jazzhead on Oct 22, 2022 3:32:28 GMT
All About Jazz recently interviewed Impulse! President, Jamie Krents: “AAJ: The release of Both Directions At Once, Blue World and A Love Supreme Live In Seattle were unexpected treats. Do you have any more surprises like that up your sleeve? JK: We do. We have some more John Coltrane stuff coming up, but it would be premature for me to go into the details now. And in 2023 we also have some more stuff coming from Alice Coltrane. That's probably the only one I can allude to now. Sorry to be vague. But yes, releases of previously unavailable, quality music have become a central part of what we do. It's really just a matter of sorting through what things should be out there, which the artists would be proud of, and what should remain in the vault because they're not meant to be out there.” www.allaboutjazz.com/jamie-krents-the-new-impulse-president-turns-up-the-flame-shabaka-hutchings
|
|
|
Post by dottorjazz on Oct 22, 2022 16:19:01 GMT
great news, referring to JC, no Alice for me
|
|