Customer Reviews

Live at Birdland (Dig)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the finest live albums ever created, starting with the definitive version of Afro Blue. Coltrane's improvisng is at his most passionate, and that passion resonates through all the tracks on the CD. This, along with My Favorite Things, a Love Supreme and Giant Steps are a must for a starter 'Trane collection. Essential to any jazz collection. Essential to any collection of quality music really. A listening experience that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the final track. Can't say enough good things about it. Fans of that outside, experimental 'Trane of later years may want to look elsewhere - none of that here, thankfully. Buy it now, thank me later :). It's that good.

Supporting John Coltrane on this "live" recording are Jimmy Garrison on bass, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums, an excellent rhythm section.

There are a total of five tracks on this CD:

1. Afro-Blue (Mongo Santamaria)(10:50)
2. I Want to Talk About You (Billy Eckstein)(8:11)
3. The Promise (John Coltrane) (8:10)
4. Alabama (John Coltrane)(5:09)
5. Your Lady (John Coltrane) (6:39)

According to an article in Wikipedia, only the first three tracks were recorded live at Birdland on October 8, 1963. Tracks 4 and 5 were recorded on November 18, 1963 at the Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey. Track 6 was recorderd at that same recording studio on March 6, 1963.

Additionally, the article states that "Alabama" was written as a tribute to the four children killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

A live version of "I Want to Talk About You" was previously recorded in 1958 for Coltrane's album Soultrane.

LeRoi Jones wrote a meandering but highly enthusiastic set of liner notes for this album. I'll allow him to have the last word: "All the music on this album is Live, whether it was recorded above the drinking and talk at Birdland, or in the studio. There is a daringly human quality to John Coltrane's music that makes itserlf felt, wherever he records. if you can hear, this music will make you think of a lot of weird and wonderful things. You might even become one of them." Amen.

Highly Recommended.

Once it started playing, all I could do is play it again and again. Pure Trane!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John Coltrane has his standard quartet (McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones) gathered for another Impulse short (38 minutes) live album. This one is a little better than "Live At The Village Vanguard" since the songs work together. From the opener, "Afro-Blue" to the closer, "Your Lady", Coltrane plays with an appealing tone. There aren't long spinning improvisations like on "One Down, One Up Live At The Half Note" (a better CD, by the way), but Coltrane plays to the songs. Depending on each listener's favorite phase of Coltrane's career, different people will like this different amounts. Anyone with an appreciate of pre-"Acension" Coltrane will certainly enjoy this CD.