Live in Japan [Live]

Yellowjackets | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 14, 1991)
• Original Release Date: 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: GRP Records
• ASIN: B000003N61
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,712 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Afro Blue

2. Peace On Earth

Disc: 2

1. Crescent

Disc: 3

1. Peace On Earth

2. Leo

Disc: 4

1. My Favorite Things

Editorial Reviews

This CD is an out of print collectible! It is the GRP Impulse 4 CD set issued in a double jewel case.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coltrane in Japan - Epic and Majestic., October 9, 2005

By 

Louie Bourland (Garden Grove CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Live in Japan (Audio CD)

"Live In Japan" is a mammoth 4-disc set which documents John Coltrane's first and only concert tour in that country. The occasion took place in July 1966 (exactly one year before Coltrane's untimely death) and this was during the time in which Coltrane's music was at its most free-form, experimental and arguably most innovative. Coltrane's musician personnel had shifted as well. The previous year, drummer Elvin Jones and pianist McCoy Tyner had left and were replaced respectively by Rashied Ali and Coltrane's wife Alice. Also joining Coltrane is second saxophonist Pharoah Sanders who made his debut with the dynamic leader on the earth-shattering free-for-all "Ascension". Bassist Jimmy Garrison was the only long-term member of the ensemble to still be in Coltrane's group. Also of interest is the fact that these Japanese concerts find Coltrane (as well as Sanders) performing on alto sax in addition to the unsual tenor and soprano.
As for the music itself, it is loaded with fierce improvisational chops with the ensemble stretching the music to its outer limits. The idea of releasing an album of this material was not initially planned in 1966 so, Coltrane and his group of players took the music into an area of no boundaries or limits whatsoever. Although this set may take a few listens to fully digest, it doesn't take long before the listener is completely emmersed in the music.
Musical standouts in this 4-disc set are as follows:
Afro Blue: Pharoah Sanders' shrieking tenor solo and Coltrane's nearly 20-minute solo on soprano sax which closes the piece.
Peace on Earth (Version 1): Alice Coltrane's beautiful piano solo and John and Pharoah's tenor duet.
Crescent: Jimmy Garrison's extended bass introduction and another standout piano lead from Alice.
Peace on Earth (Version 2): Pharaoh's excellent alto sax spotlight.
Leo: Pharoah's ferocious alto solo, Rashied Ali's extended drum feature, John and Pharoah's catfighting alto duel.
My Favorite Things: Another great extended Garrison bass intro, John performing the melody on alto sax as well as an extended soprano solo in the middle, a flowing piano solo from Alice and another sax duel from John and Pharoah.
"Live In Japan" isn't recommended for a first-time Coltrane listener. However, this is definitely an essential purchase once you've studied his other musical periods and have made it to this, his final period of pure musical exploration. It also should be noted that all of the music in this set was recorded in mono. Despite this, the sound quality is excellent and every musician comes through sharp and clear.
This is late-period Coltrane at its very best!!!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explorations from Coltrane's last band., April 4, 2005

By 

Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Live in Japan (Audio CD)

Recorded over two nights in Tokyo, "Live in Japan" shows Coltrane's last band in full flight. Trane (on soprano, alto, and tenor saxaphones and percussion) is joined by Pharoah Sanders (on alto and tenor sax, bass clarinet, and percussion), Alice Coltrane (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass), and Rashied Ali (drums). Often maligned as the successor to the much beloved "classic quartet" (with only Garrison left from that band), and for their largely exploratory nature, this is a band largely in transition-- they're finding each other, finding their places together, already some of the bonds are starting to show between the band members that would develop fully by the end of '66, but there's a looseness to these recordings that hadn't existed on a live Coltrane document that adds an interesting spice to the mix. Trane is quoted in the liner notes as stating that knowing you're being recorded tends to cause a tightening up, but he didn't know these shows were recorded, and if that's the result on other contemporary live recordings ("Live in the Village Vanguard Again!"), it shows when compared to this. There are two shows captured here, each is about two hours long and features three pieces.

Now mind you, you need to be ready for things like fourteen minute bass solos or twenty minute sax solos to be able to digest this stuff, and thats not for everyone-- considering that much of jazz was still in the three minute vein (and many of Trane's contemporaries were playing eight or nine minute pieces as extended), this may be a bit much, but there's a lot to hear on these.

Whats interesting is to see how far Coltrane is reaching with his playing, his solos (particularly on tenor, although he also solos on alto and soprano) have a quality of almost incompleteness to them as though he isn't quite where he wants to be yet-- comparing these to the urgency and power of his 1967 recordings, you get the impression that he found it then. But on extended solos on "Afro Blue" and "Crescent", Coltrane is looking. Joining him in this exploration is the mighty Pharoah Sanders, whose playinig is no doubt inspiring, check the alto solo on "Peace on Earth" for a good example of this. The rhythm section is also interesting, although the sound quality tends to force Garrison out when the other instruments get aggressive, he's already developed a rappport with Rashied Ali (who to my ears was a better partner for Trane's exploratory phase than Jones was-- and I've always felt that Trane sought his most sympathetic support from his drummers). Ali's playing is actually breathtaking, his stylistic developments after Elvin Jones left the band is pretty incredible. Coltrane's second wife, Alice, adds a unique touch to the piano-- also a harpist, there's a sparseness to her playing on this recording that I suspect comes from her harp background, that nicely offsets the density of Trane and Pharoah's playing.

The recordings are interesting, certainly worth hearing. Maybe not for everyone, but if you're a fan of Trane's later work, this is essential.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's an acquired taste..., September 5, 2004

By 

Dan (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live in Japan (Audio CD)

I made the mistake of buying this CD not too long after I started getting into jazz. I must admit I have a strange obsession with long songs, and this CD set is by far the ulitmate. With 2 50+ minute songs and the shortest being over 25 minutes, curiosity just overtook me.

This is a great free jazz record, and I realize this now, but at the time I really didnt get it. It takes some continuous listening to appreciate this music. As for the 50 minute songs, well, I discovered later, that each song begins with an "extended" (as the liner notes call it) bass solo. Try 13-15 minutes. I mean, I am a fan of soloing, but if its BASS, you're bound to run out of ideas when you're dealing with a time frame like that. It is interesting to listen to every once in awhile, but it gets inconvenient when you really just wanna listen to the latter half of the song. This was one downside for me, the other is that the entire 4 CD's are in mono, which doesnt help - once the songs really get going and Pharoah and Trane start dueling the bass is lost entirely.

Other than these things, I really like the record. Trane is just amazing. If you expect the My Favorite Things from the early Trane album, don't bother, its a totally different song. He occasionally plays the verse melody, but he's really into it, and usually the verse is lost in his amazing rolling soloing. Afro Blue is just a great song and the sax is great on it (listen to the ear-shattering screams about 8 minutes in). The two versions of Peace on Earth are amazing as well, neither of which descend into the screeching chaos of the other songs. Leo is the opposite, but its a great song, featuring a great drum solo about 13 minutes in.

So, if you're into free jazz and have got 40 bucks to spare, go for it.