Customer Reviews

Complete Africa / Brass Sessions

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There's a lot of mischief in the world of CD production. When content doesn't match available time, sometimes suppliers make up the difference with "filler" of questionable merit. While some alternate takes are interesting, others didn't make the first release because frankly they weren't as good as the one that did. The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions is a shining exception to this trend.

I was first drawn to it because I simply had to have Song Of The Underground Railroad, one of my absolute favorite John Coltrane selections. Not only is the melody incredibly infectious, it races with urgency and power until the title resonates in your heartbeat. Greensleeves, candidly, is not my cup of tea; it never lifted off the ground like Favorite Things for me. But Africa, now this is a different story. I consider Africa to be one of Coltrane's major compositions, very ambitious, very grand, and brilliantly realized. The scope of the piece is on a scale with its subject, and just look at the players. When you've got Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, Trane, McCoy Tyner, and Elvin Jones on your team, (among others); with Dolphy writing the charts, you have what is known as "an embarrassment of riches".

This is why it's so great that three different takes are included. To have three very different interpretations of Africa offers new ways of appreciating this extraordinary accomplishment, adding richness and texture to what was already incredibly layered and complex. As is so often the case with Impulse!, lovely packaging and an excellent booklet. This is the horn of plenty, Dolphy paints the background and Coltrane simply soars above the landscape. Worth getting and listening to over and over.

The fact that this is my desert-isle Coltrane pick has caused some consternation amongst my Trane-devoted friends, but I've stuck by this recording for years. Like the best albums in any genre, it creates and sustains its own mood - a very evocative, transporting, colorful listening experience. Maybe it's the added horn textures that do the trick for me; maybe it's the way Elvin and the bassists lock in on the last take of Africa, or maybe it's the way Trane's yearning sound finds a perfect home over these elastic backdrops. Objectively speaking, this two-disc set does sum up some key operations in Coltrane's oeuvre: there's a 6/8 soprano feature (Greensleeves), a minor blues (um, Blues Minor), an uptempo charger (Song of the Underground Railroad), and a worldly workout (Africa). Each of which can stand with any of Coltrane's other recordings from the early `60s.

The alternate takes are valuable, and no one is forced to listen to all of them in each sitting; the stop/forward/program buttons on CD players are fairly easy to operate. As the Hardy Boys once intoned, it's better to have and not need, than to need and not have. Africa does go thru some notable changes with each take, so why not observe and enjoy the differences? Overall, a very satisfying collection from a most productive musician.

I remember that when I first owned the LP version at around age 21 my father complained, whenever he heard the music on this album: "There is that suicidal maniac again." It was a crude assessment, but while no doubt much of this sounded like a blurred noise to him, he could nevertheless detect a purpose of sorts. And certainly Coltrane sounded like a man possessed here, and still does. But to those who opened their ears he did, more than on several earlier or later recordings, sound hugely eloquent and in command of his music (not just his instruments). This remains an enormously powerful, harmonious and even melodious work of art - one of the best from its period, and certainly one of Coltrane's best. It is odd that it is not regularly put ahead of, or at least alongside with, many of the more popular records like "Blue Train" and "My Favourite Things", for in many ways both Coltrane and the (daringly orchestrated) band sound yet more distinctive and innovative than anything on those small-group recordings. The title track, "Africa", a very long piece, is strongly evocative of that continent, with all its grandeur, depth and complexity. Something like "Greensleeves", by contrast, is an ordinary, traditional English tune, beautiful by itself, but here rendered in a specially haunting, mesmerising way. Only Coltrane could play as he does on this record, and noone else can imitate him successfully on his own ground. This was, and remains, a musical bombshell, and even though Coltrane at times sounds tormented, for sure, he does not make those of his listeners who are attuned to him think of suicide at all. Rather, one is delighted to (try and) follow him in his breathtaking and life-enriching explorations. - Joost Daalder (see more about me)

I don't know why this album takes short shrift. Back when this material was on vinyl and in two different installments, Volume 2 was one of the very first jazz albums I ever purchased, and I've never looked back. After God knows how many thousands of dollars of investing(haha) in this addiction, this remains one of my all time favorites. The contribution of Eric Dolphy is unmistakable in the arrangements, and Trane is both full-throatedly passionate and sensitive throughout. My favorite is "Song of the Underground Railway," but the rest is uniformly searching, coherent, and excellent.

Many Coltrane lovers claim A Love Supreme is his best. While I like that CD very much, this set tops it, IMHO. Very melodic, with none of the free-jazz wildness that characterized his post-ALS work.

"Greensleeves" is, while a bit of a cash-in on the success of his "Favorite Things" hit, an excellent piece of work. I prefer the alternate take offered on this 2CD set... it is slightly slower, more complex, and offers a beauty that the original doesn't.

"Song Of The Underground Railroad" may be my all-time top 'Trane tune. Such great improvisation, yet with a tune you'll find yourself humming all day.

"Africa" is dark and brooding, with simmering percussion and horns... a perfect musical representation of the continent. My only quibble is that 3 versions are included. Just a bit of overkill, but worth hearing all three nonetheless.

"The Damned Don't Cry" and "Blues Minor" round out this classic. The liner notes are copious and well-written.

I almost bought the single CD, but then took the plunge and got the Complete double set. I am so glad I did.

Bottom line: Get it, get it NOW... and get addicted to it. :)

This recording is unique in John Coltrane's impressive body of work. An empassioned recording with unusual exotic brass arrangments. His working group of himself, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Reggie Workman are in top form. Elvin Jones and Reggie Workman are both vital to the pulse of this recording. Contained on this extended release of the original recording are alternate versions of both his marvelous "Greensleeves" but two alternate takes of "Africa". The brass lends so much ambience to this recording. I was enthralled and captivated by the sophistication, passion and pulse of this recording. Mr. Coltrane plays his heart out here. The arrangments are so complimentary here that you cannot ever imagine these songs without them no matter how brilliant the soloists. Reggie Workman's bass just resonates. His accompaniment is brilliant. Elvin Jones is perfect counterpoint for him. There is so much tension and release here, a fine sense of pacing. This is modern jazz at it's most vital. This is my favorite John Coltrane recording. The only complaint I have is not musical. It is the omission of the wonderful sculpture that graced the cover of the original vinyl release. This one is a must for any serious jazz collector. It shows one of the masters at the height of his power. "Greensleeves" in it's complete re-invention and redefinition is worth the price of this recording.

When Coltrane joined impulse! at the top of the 1960's, he began an astounding creative collaboration which would result in some of the most powerful jazz ever recorded. This album and "Live at the Village Vanguard" were the output of his 1961 work; both are tremendous works. This two-disc set is filled with daring, extended modal works like "Africa" (three performances of which appear, including the astonishing alternate take), resounding blues like "Song of the Underground Railroad" (Trane is an undisputed master of blues saxophone, and gets to show off on this tune), and the unusual and only once-recorded "The Damned Don't Cry" (possibly the album's weakest link, but at the same time a terrifically powerful tune). Trane works on both soprano and his much-loved tenor on this album, darting to and fro on two takes of "Greensleeves" and roaring along with the polyrhythms of "Africa" itself (which sounds to these ears like a tone parallel to an African ritual, with Elvin Jones' mighty drum solo channeling ancient spirits -- but your ears will hear your own interpretation). A magnificent summing-up of Trane's previous work, and a wonderful document of the quartet in 1961.

While not often mentioned amongst Coltrane's landmark recordings, "Africa/Brass" certainly deserves a place there. Besides the popular rendition(s) of "Greensleeves" there are compelling performances throughout, with the brass and reed arranging adding a fascinating element to Tranes artistry that you don't hear in any of his recordings of the 1960's. "The Song of the Underground Railroad", a standard blues number adapted from an old spiritual, features a ripping, and literally, hair-raising performance by Trane. Also noteworthy, is the oft-maligned "The Damned Dont Cry", a number described even in the liner notes as "weak"- Give it a few listens, it is actually a very moving piece despite the awkward time signature intro. This is certainly a five star CD, but did we really need THREE versions of "Africa"? While "Africa" is a provocative exercise (essentially based on a one-note drone), with some wonderful, surging moments, its cumulative 46 minutes (!) are a bit overkill even for fanatical Coltrane collectors. The additional take of "Greensleeves", while also yeilding some fine moments, may be unnecessary. True, this is packaged as the "Complete" sessions, but in hindsight, these five songs may be better served on a CD without the outakes. 4 1/2 stars.

john coltrane's discography is vast. and that's a wonderful thing. he is indisputably one the all-time jazz greats. you should definitely get lots and lots of his music to have a great life. this album is yet another of his splendid artistic achievements. the original vinyl record was a single release. here you get additional material that makes for more of a fine thing, and 2 cds. the whole affair kicks off with a mid-tempo take on the classic tune "greensleeves," with coltrane's sax and mccoy tyner's piano bending the familiar melody into lovely new shapes. "song of the underground railroad," is a great track with a strong rythmic drive provided by the drums of elvin jones and the bass of reggie workman. "the damned don't cry" is an elegant piece of jazz with orchestra and french horn adding textures on top of coltrane and tyner's playing. there are three takes of "africa" here, which if fine by me. i love listening to these musicians work this great piece upside-down and back & forth & sideways & into 5th & 6th dimensions. "africa" has coltrane's strongest sax playing on the album, and a wonderful mid-tempo rythmic section at work. "blues minor" also has powerful sax playing by the master, very precise and fine. can't get enough john coltrane. this is a jazz classic.

1961. A wonderful year for jazz. Coltrane signs with Impulse!.

This set is a must for a fan of Coltrane, especially if you like the '61 Vanguard tapes. I don't have too much more to say, but, wow. The instrumentation is just genius. We all know that Coltrane was a musical genius, but on this album he shows that his good friend Eric DOlphy (arranger on this album) was as well.