Customer Reviews

Live Trane: The European Tours

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The "Classic" John Coltrane Quartet, 1961 thru '63, live in Paris, Stockholm and West Berlin (in transfers vastly improved from previous issues) and in a more sympathetic setting than their "home base."

Now, it's true that there has been some "flap" between various Coltraneologists and Pablo, over apparently incorrect dates for some of the earlier tracks in this box..."Is it Paris or is it Stockholm?" Three selections, allegedly air-checks from Birdland in NYC (not the European tours) have sound quality that is distinctly inferior to all the other tracks; whatever their origin, they were probably NOT recorded with equipment belonging to Norman Granz (who produced these European tours).

Still, Pablo is to be applauded for 1) negotiating royalties with the Coltrane Estate and the surviving musicians, so that much of this material is legitimately released for the first time, and "de-bootlegged." 2) The SOUND, people, the SOUND of these tracks (at least the ones which have been heard previously) is better than it's ever been...For example, the former "drop-outs" in the Berlin "Favorite Things" are gone- and even those "Birdland" tracks are truly LISTENABLE for the first time.

Dive into this box, and when you come out of it you'll realize what's been lost since 1963: a fresh sense of adventure, somehow married to lucidity...a "phase" which cannot always be sustained in either a society as a whole, or even within the work of any one artist (not even Trane ! ). Certainly, the November 2, 1963 "Favorite Things" is the greatest of all surviving versions, for its poise on the razor's edge of supreme spiritual risk-taking and sweet, almost Greek-classical lucidity...And all this before a series of audiences for whom this combination was as natural as the air they breathed...Such an atmosphere does not and cannot exist, today.

And, of course, you could hardly "do it again" within this idiom. It wasn't just record-company greed and commercial pressure that led Carlos Santana and his generation to funk, fusion, and paths other than acoustic post-bop...Because Trane had very nearly exhausted this idiom, the next generation HAD to explore elsewhere...Nevertheless, Santana and others were emboldened by Trane's risk-taking and "purity of intention" (to borrow a phrase from Thomas Merton, who also loved Coltrane).

By immersing yourself in this 7-CD box, you'll very nearly get it all "back," then forward...I remember when I first took this set home- tired and mentally worn down after a day-from-hell-at-the-office, intending just to sample a few tracks...Within ten minutes, something more than just adrenaline began to kick in..."Holes" were "punched" in my fatigue, the mind began feeling "toned up," and a sense of possibilities began to surface...In about two hours, the wild stream of life was flowing again, and I forgot all about being "worn down"... What (in LETTERS TO OLGA) Vaclav Havel calls Being, turned toward me and I toward Being...Whether or not it sounds "strange," I'll sign off with this : It's in this music, I'm telling you it's HERE.

This doesn't come close in terms of quality or performance to any of the sets from Impulse but it is nonetheless an important release. I personally enjoy early-60s Coltrane the most so call it a bias. I can't dig the free jazz stuff and the early Prestige material bores me. Early 60s Coltrane was the perfect blend of experimentation and soul with respect for the audience. This is also why I like Miles Davis' 2nd Great Quintet.

This is basically an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink live set from Pablo and likely the last major live set we'll see unless Impulse is sitting on a golden egg. The sound quality ranges from excellent to kinda' muddy in spots but is always enjoyable. Coltrane was a power player and I admire Impulse's way of bringing that out to the fullest with their releases, but I actually like the slight distance of these recordings. That slight murkiness. It adds to the ambience and mystery in my opnion. It's definitely an atmospheric change from the pristine-digital-audio-as-crisp-as-the-wind production of the Impulse stuff. This music is 40 years old! Let me hear at least a little bit of that! Okay, rant off...

The performances here are often stellar (Eric Dolphy's flute solos on the first two versions of My Favorite Things are amazing) and the set offers a decent enough selection of tunes. I actually enjoy the version of Afro Blue found here more than the Live At Birdland take. I could do without some of the tired runs at "Mr. P.C." found here, though.

Ultimately, this is a great set to buy AFTER you have purchased the Villiage Vangard set. If you just have a passing fancy in Coltrane, skip this. If you've listened to everything else and can't get enough, check it out. A warning to collectors: if you already have "Afro Blue Impressions" or any of the other Pablo live cds, think twice as those performances are all featured here. It's the typical box set "upgrade dilemma" folks. I will say that the disc of exclusive material is the best here and features some of Coltrane and Dolphy's best live work.

One thing for those who complain about repetition in the set lists: it's jazz! The title of the song is very often just that - the title. A name. Something to call it on the liner notes. Listen to the solos and stop making it seem like these box sets only feature the same five songs repeated identically five times each. Yes, there are half-a-dozen versions of My Favorite Things here but once the main theme is done, you get a different song each and every time. That's what jazz is all about. If you haven't gotten that by now, stop listening to it.

This box earns four stars (and should earn five) simply for the quality of the performances. On stage, the classic Coltrane quartet stretched the tunes out, often to more than double the studio length, building to incredible levels of intensity. There's no complaint with the music on this collection--eight hours of Coltrane at arguably his peak. But the record company has been careless (if not blatantly dishonest) with the recording information. The worst example is where they mislabel one set as "Hamburg 1961 (previously unreleased)" when in fact it is a frequently issued 1962 recording from Birdland in NYC. There are other similar errors.

I totally disagree with some of the previous reviews. These are amongst Coltrane's finest recordings. Coltrane, more than perhaps any other musician, was all about playing live- in fact his studio efforts attempted to capture a sense of spontaneity that they only sometimes achieved. One reviewer mentioned the sound quality was poor- I have had some of these recordings on previous pressings and the improvement is incredibly dramatic. True this does not sound like a modern live recording-but the beauty of his tone, and the urgency of his playing come through loud and clear. Here you get to hear many versions of the same tune that are COMPLETELY different. There are very few Coltrane solos on this recording that are not astounding. Also, you have the best version of Naima- the one where Eric Dolphy plays a tremendously haunting bass clarinet solo. I have most of the Coltrane box sets, and this is my favorite. This music captures a period of time for Coltrane when his playing was searching but still melodically centered- thus, it is adventurous while still being something you will listen to frequently. Highly recommended.

Yes, this is monophonic and has a rather distant and uneven sound. No, this doesn't matter much to the Trane Tribe, who cannot get enough of the classic quartet's exotic explorations into realms of unexplored beauty and wonderment. It is rewarding to often hear the European audiences give the band sustained applause, something often absent from American dates in small clubs and elsewhere.

Most of the recordings are literally the classic quartet (Coltrane on tenor and soprano saxophones; Jimmy Garrison on bass, McCoy Tyner on piano; Elvin Jones on drums). But some pieces find Reggie Workman on bass and Eric Dolpy on flute, alto, and bass clarinet. The group worked from a small song book, since they used each piece for extended improvisations. It doesn't matter that there are multiple versions of many of the pieces, since each is different (and satisfyingly so) from the other versions. That is jazz--endless variation within a theme and spirit. For example, on one version of "Impressions," Trane and Elvin work off each other early in the tune to create such a torrent of energy that McCoy just drops out! It's left to the trio who burn it up. In other versions McCoy takes extented and rich solos.

Trane said that he "held back" a bit in the studio, if you can belive that. Nothing is held back here. This is invention and risk-taking at a high order of musical magnitude. Trane's soloing and interchanges with Elvin (some of which become duets) are stunning, spine-chilling. Trane was exploring the borders of traditional, post-bebop and modal jazz. He bordered on the avant-guarde at times, but stayed within traditional time signatures and structures overall. (After McCoy and Elvin departed, Trane went completely "outside.") Every band member is given room to stretch out. Elvin takes several solos, something not found on the four-disk set, "Live at the Village Vanguard." He is more impressive as a time-keeper--with a swing more commanding than anyone else's--but his solos are impressive in their own right. (Buddy Rich remains the king of the jazz drum solo, but could have never functioned in a group like Trane's.)

The weakest composition here is "Tranin' In," which begins without a clear head or theme. The melody is hard to find and Trane doesn't come in at all until about half way through the piece. Some of the most inspired playing comes in the versions of "Impressions," "Mr. P.C.," "My Favorite Things" (so much more interesting and vital than the rather boring studio version), "Naima," and "Miles Mode."

John Coltrane and his musical soul mates left us a musical legacy that is rich and deep. The gift goes on, and I am thankful for it.

--Douglas Groothuis

I've been a fan of Afro-Blue Impressions for many years, and this collection rounds out these amazing recordings. Coltrane's playing on these European tours is breathtaking -- beautiful lines with drive, reach, confidence, and daring. Without question, it's my favorite period of his playing. The quartet (augmented by Eric Dolphy in parts) is also in peak form -- locked in, listening to each other, pushing each other. Some of the cuts have an intensity that the other live recordings (Village Vanguard, etc.) and the studio recordings rarely hit. Absolutely incredible.

Here is a real treasure.And it's mostly made of unissued tracks!!! Recorded between November 18,1961 and November 2,1963,these outstanding concerts (in Paris,Stockholm,Berlin and Hamburg) are among Coltrane's finest works,even if the quality of sound isn't as good as the Impulse studio sessions ones.But Trane is free to blow on "Mr P.C." for eighteen minutes,or on "my favorite things" for 23 minutes;in fact,John Coltrane's music is by far more ferocious and adventurous here than in the studio sessions recorded at the same time.Not so far from the "live in Seattle",or the "live in japan" Impulse recordings.
Backed by McCoy Tyner,piano,Eric Dolphy,alto sax,flute,bass clarinet,Reggie Workman or Jimmy Garrison,bass,and the prodigious Elvin Jones on drums,Trane plays incendiary choruses on his actual repertoire: "my favorite things","Mr P.C.","impressions","Naima","chasin' the Trane","the promise"...
The intensity of this music is such than it's very difficult to find words to describe it.Of course,you'll listen to five versions of "my favorite things",or "impressions",or "Mr P.C.",four of "Naima",but you won't be bored;each version is so different from the other ones that you'll find treasures in each one.There is also the most magnificent version of "Spiritual" Coltrane ever recorded;a somptuous version of "Afro blue";the haunting "Lonnie's lament",one of Trane's most beautiful tunes;and hours and hours of some of the most joyful,sensual,essential music of the past century.This 7 CD set is one of the most important issues of the past decade,and an essential milestone in JOohn Coltrane's recorded works.Beeing a Coltrane addict,it seems impossible to miss it.Here are hours of treasures,hours of one of the most fascinating music of all times.

I don't know of anywhere else to hear "my favorite things" and "blue train" with dolphy. The first two discs are practically worth the price of the set, and I deliberated buying it for a bit. Plus, there are three versions of MFT with dolphy (six total). I agree totally with another reviewer who says that this set is the next logical place to go after the complete village vanguard, which people will buy first simply because it's more known.
Do not just buy Afro blue impressions and consider it a condensed version of this set. You won't get the dolphy. And the twenty five mintute version of MFT is simply amazing. Time will get warped should you listen to this when really relaxed. I'd write more but I'm going to listen to the set right now.

Reviewing the content of these discs is a pointless exercise. It's the John Coltrane Quartet (with multi-reedman Eric Dolphy along for the 1961 shows) taped live during European tours from 1961-1963, when he was at his absolute peak (my opinion). Much of this stuff has been available on inferior sounding bootlegs and such, with little if any info on where or when. Everything is documented here, from dates of shows to personnel, along with an excellent essay from Neil Tesser.
Several tunes are done multiple times, but as always with Trane, each rendition is fresh and original, with new revelations and insights. "My Favorite Things" leads the way with SIX appearances, ranging in time from 14 to 25 minutes in length, but this band reinvents it each time! Coltrane's greatness is at least in part due to the fact that he assembled without a doubt the most perfect jazz band we will ever see or hear. The evidence is in the way every soloist is pushed and prodded to get the most out of each solo, how often the intensity level is built to almost unbearable levels, only to be suddenly dropped, and the way each tune seems to provide complete catharsis. The only bad thing about listening to the Coltrane quartet is that it makes other jazz sound so lame and lifeless. This stuff is so addictive that you won't be able to listen to anything else. I thought that I would never hear anything to compare to "The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings" 4-disc set, but this falls short only in the area of sound quality (although in remastering the tapes they have done a wonderful job of restoring the sound).

Suffice to say, if you own the Vanguard set, this box, The Impulse studio box, The Atlantic box, Live at Birdland, the Johnny Hartman disc, Newport '63, Blue Train, the 3/22/60 Stockholm disc with Miles (if you can find it), and Kind of Blue, you've got it all. What else is there?

If you own the monumental Village Vanguard 1961 box-set, this is the place to go next, as it takes it from there and continues till late '63. Those important years are poorly covered by the Impulse label, represented mostly by the "Coltrane" album of '62 and the fine but short "Live at Birdland" of '63.

The recordings here are technically not up to the Impulse standard, being all mono and of varying (though acceptable) quality. There is the occasional offmike blowing by Coltrane, and on some tracks (notably cd 4 and 5) one of the musicians' (Garrison?) hideous groaning almost drowns out the music. Still, these are minor irritations considering the importance of these recordings.

The repertoire is well familiar to Coltrane fans, and the differences between the various versions provide fascinating insights into the art of improvisation at the highest level. There are a few slightly uninspired performances here, but others belong among the finest Coltrane recordings ever, and there is some stuff here you won't find anywhere else.

It should be noted that experts have pointed out some serious discograhical errors in the cover notes (some of the recordings seem to actually stem from Birdland, NYC).