Question regarding Coltrane

[TheMusicalMarine]

I currently have:

Giant Steps

Blue Train

A Love Supreme

Coltrane Plays the Blues

My Favorite Things

Lush Life

Tenor Conclave

Soultrane

Ballads

I'm particularly looking at some his later Impulse! work.

Which of these are essential? Or if they all are, which are works that should be prioritized on the buying list? Thanks

Dear Old Stockholm

Live at Birdland

Crescent

The John Coltrane Quartet Plays

Transition

Kulu Se Mama

Infinity

Ascension

Sun Ship

Live in Seattle

Meditations

Expression

Stellar Regions

Interstellar Space

[Noj]

Though I am by no means a Coltrane expert, I can highly recommend Africa Brass. It was one of the first jazz albums I ever heard, and remains one I like very much.

I am unfamiliar with the ones on your list, though I have heard Ascension praised very highly from many different sources...

[brownie]

Get the 'Coltrane and Johnny Hartman'

Get the others after

[Dmitry]

It's like asking which Rembrandt paintings are essential. I could never really pick.

If you have the money, buy all of them, if not, eventually you will buy all of them.

Seeing that you have the pre-Impulse Trane mostly, I wouldn't go crazy on the post-65 stuff just yet. Ease into it.

My $.02.

[tooter]

If you want something reasonably "accessible", try [The Mating Call] by Tadd Dameron with Coltrane. Philly Joe on drums.

[doubleM]

I know that these aren't on your list, but I'd consider getting "Impressions" and "Africa Brass" early on, as they might get your ears ready for the really out stuff on your list, i.e., Sun Ship, Interstellar Space, Kulu Se Mama. Both have Eric Dolphy, too.

[Green Dolphin]

"Coltrane"(the Impulse one for Out Of This World)

"Crescent"-reflective,troubled and beautiful!

[Brandon Burke]

My favorite Coltrane record is Ole because the title track is among my favorite jazz songs of all time. In fact, I like it so much that I always end up giving my copies away to friends. Invariably, it seems, as soon as I acquire another one I play it for a friend, they almost always love it, and I ultimately say "Just take it with you, man. I'll get another one."

I can't even count how many times this has happened over the years, though I do remember board member 'clifford thornton' getting one some time ago. I think you'll find that Ole strikes a perfect balance between his Atlantic and Impulse material.

[jazzbo]

Hey, get Dakar and get it soon! Then start grabbing bootlegs of live material from 1961 to 1963 or so. . . .

No particular reason other than my gut tells me these may be a good way for you to go!

[7/4]

Here's a John Coltrance discography. Working your way forward is the best way to check him out.

Check out First Meditations too.

[Morganized]

It's like asking which Rembrandt paintings are essential. I could never really pick.

If you have the money, buy all of them, if not, eventually you will buy all of them.

Seeing that you have the pre-Impulse Trane mostly, I wouldn't go crazy on the post-65 stuff just yet. Ease into it.

My $.02.

I would second Dmitry's opinion. I think you will enjoy his later stuff more if you are well grounded in where he has come from. I love Ole' as well. It is one of my favorite Coltrane disc's. After this I would stick my toe into the water with Crescent, Quartet Plays, and Meditations...probably in that order. This should bridge you into his much later stuff.

Just my two cents!!

Edited May 30, 2004 by Morganized

[couw]

be aware that all that comes after 65 is usually a bit more "out there." I see you already have A Love Supreme so that's cool; the later stuff you list (anything from Transition down) is fabulous IMO, but you need to know that it in no way compares to Tenor Conclave or Lush Life, this is wild shit that puts A Love Supreme to shame most of the time; utterly enchanting, incredible stuff, but start with ONE and find your way around. Try some samples before buying I'd say.

I personally have always liked Living Space a lot, a very fine session with its flaws and burps, but in the end very satisfying and rather accessible.

Anyone of the Atlantic and Impulse albums that comes before A Love Supreme is worthy of a recommendation and I would doubt you'd be disappointed.

I agree with 7/4: working your way forward is probably the best.

[take5]

Transition and Sun Ship are two albums that continue to fascinate me. The former is a glorious mess of ideas, like and open door into genius. The latter is considered pretty out there, and I guess it is, put I've always found it inviting in its own we and endlessly listenable, and I'm not one to normally go for the free/avant-garde stuff.

Ascension is one to save to the end. It's impossibly dense and, to me, practically unlistenable. I just don't get it, but I keep it around in case I ever do. There's a two-disc set that compiles his longer works which has both versions of Ascension, Ohm, Kulu Se Mama, and others. I never listen to it.

Crescent is not "out there" by any means. It's just a wonderful, well-balanced album. I consider it his first masterpiece on Impulse! Definitely get it.

Africa/Brass is great if just for the title track alone.

I agree about Ole- criminally forgotten. But the Atlantic material is another thing...

[kh1958]

Out of the list above, Coltrane Live at Birdland and Crescent are the two most beloved in my case.

Ole, Africa Brass, and Live at the Village Vanguard are also essential.

While I enjoy all of Coltrane's periods, my personal preference is from about 1960 to 1965.

[sal]

I think every one you listed is essential.

[wolff]

Of the later('64 forward) Crescent is one I really like.

Quartet Plays gets spun now and then.

I have not warmed up to Stellar Regions(puts me on edge), but it's got my favorite Coltrane cover.

[paul secor]

I think that Dimitry is right - if you dig Trane as much as you obviously do, eventually you'll want them all. However, you might want to pick up either Birdland or Crescent first, live with it for a while, and then go on to the others - preferably in the order that Trane recorded them. That may give you a clearer sense of his path.

[Guy Berger]

I'm particularly looking at some his later Impulse! work.

Which of these are essential? Or if they all are, which are works that should be prioritized on the buying list? Thanks

Dear Old Stockholm

Live at Birdland

Crescent

The John Coltrane Quartet Plays

Transition

Kulu Se Mama

Infinity

Ascension

Sun Ship

Live in Seattle

Meditations

Expression

Stellar Regions

Interstellar Space

Dear Old Stockholm -- One of the last Impulses to acquire. There's some first tier, classic music here ("After the Rain", "Dear Lord") and some excellent transitional '65 music that bridges A Love Supreme with the later stuff, but somehow the package is disposable.

Live at Birdland, Crescent -- Both of these are essential parts of any jazz collection.

The John Coltrane Quartet Plays, Transition, Kulu Se Mama -- All of these are important milestones from '65, but not the first albums to pick up. Except "Quartet Plays" might be a good first step from A Love Supreme to the more advanced '65 material.

Ascension -- Anyone who is serious about Trane's later music has to tackle this.

Sun Ship -- The best, most focused quartet recording from '65. Difficult but thrilling music, it's almost a shame he didn't record much more with this group in this style.

Live in Seattle -- Get this if you like Ascension. Some incredible music, some dead spots.

Meditations -- Essential. My favorite of the JC-Pharoah Sanders collaborations. Difficult, harrowing music.

Interstellar Space -- My favorite late Trane. "Nothing of the circus", as Sibelius would say. Just sax, drums, creating a musical galaxy from a small amount of musical seeds.

Stellar Regions, Expression -- Two excellent documents from Trane's last year. Serene free jazz, if that makes sense; much quieter and more resigned than the '65 music. Trane's playing on these albums (and Interstellar Space) is some of the best of his career.

[Guy Berger]

By the way, you didn't list anything from the '61 Village Vanguard engagement on your list. As a Trane enthusiast, the 4 CD box is the first thing you should pick up next -- Coltrane, Dolphy and their buddies revolutionizing jazz as the tapes were rolling.

Guy

[brownie]

By the way, you didn't list anything from the '61 Village Vanguard engagement on your list. As a Trane enthusiast, the 4 CD box is the first thing you should pick up next -- Coltrane, Dolphy and their buddies revolutionizing jazz as the tapes were rolling.

Guy

Yes, yes, yes.

[TheMusicalMarine]

You guys make my wallet hurt. Nevertheless, thy will be done.

[couw]

did anyone tell you yet you need to get that complete village vanguard box?

[7/4]

did anyone tell you yet you need to get that complete village vanguard box?

Mandatory listening.

[ajf67]

I would also highly recommend Afro Blue Impressions as a way to enter later Coltrane. It's live from 1963 (the vanguard boxed set was recorded in '61). It is a good step into the later stuff. Great version of My Favorite Things and Spiritual. I remember the first time I ever heard this I just played it over and over and over.

And of the others that have been talked about, I most love Crescent, First Mediations, and Interstellar Space. But I think all the late Coltranes are special music that sounds like nothing else.

[Harold_Z]

"Crescent"...That's the one I would go for next.