John Coltrane - Love Supreme: Live in Seattle

[jazzbo]

Zev words from his facebook page:

A SUPREME DISCOVERY! George Klabin and I have been involved in some major tape discoveries over the years at Resonance, but this one probably takes the cake over them all. Several years back, my good friend at the Coltrane House of Osaka, Japan, Yasuhiro Fujioka, introduced me to the film producer Kiku Lani Iwata who was working on the 2017 "Chasing Trane" documentary. Kiku put us in touch with saxophonist Steve Griggs, who introduced us to Virginia Brazil, widow of saxophonist Joe Brazil - who was a friend of Coltrane's and recorded him at the Penthouse. After a number of meetings Resonance was able to strike a deal to acquire tapes of John Coltrane performing the entire "A Love Supreme" suite live at the Penthouse jazz club in Seattle, WA on October 2, 1965. We were fortunate to have been able to acquire these important tapes to make sure they stayed out of the wrong hands, and safely into the hands of the good folks at Verve Label Group/Impulse! George and I want to thank Ken Druker, Jamie Krents and everyone at the label for allowing us to be co-producers on this incredible journey. Thanks also to Ashley Kahn, Steve Griggs, Lewis Porter, Charlie Puzzo Jr., Yasuhiro Fujioka, Kiku Lani Iwata and everyone else who helped make this project happen. Available October 8

[felser]

Look forward to this with both anticipation and dread.   Hearing Carlos Ward on the piece adds another variable.

[HutchFan]

6 minutes ago, felser said:

Look forward to this with both anticipation and dread.   Hearing Carlos Ward on the piece adds another variable.

Why "dread"?  ... Because it can't possibly live up to the standard of the studio album?

Just wondering.

 

[bertrand]

Staying out of the wrong hands. LOL.

I will get it at soon as I get confirmation there are no pitch correction issues. Think Palo Alto.

Edited August 26, 2021 by bertrand

[Mark Stryker]

Special shoutout here belongs to my old friend Steve Griggs, a Seattle saxophonist (and Organissimo board member), who is the person who actually discovered the tape among Joe Brazil's belongings. As honest and selfless as the day is long, Steve has been doing pioneering research into the life and career of the Detroit-born Brazil and it is he who befriended Joe's widow and took the first steps toward this material seeing the light of day. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by Mark Stryker

[felser]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Why "dread"?  ... Because it can't possibly live up to the standard of the studio album?

Just wondering.

 

Tyner and Elvin were on the outs at that point.  Live in Seattle has a very disconcerting vibe, and Om is a nightmare.  And this is Trane's most beloved work done in that atmosphere.  And you can't unhear it once you hear it.

[HutchFan]

Just now, felser said:

Tyner and Elvin were on the outs at that point.  Live in Seattle has a very disconcerting vibe, and Om is a nightmare.  And this is Trane's most beloved work done in that atmosphere.  And you can't unhear it once you hear it.

Ah. Got it.

 

[clifford_thornton]

3 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Are there any pictures of the Solder Field event? Trane, or Blakey? Or anybody?

Are there any pictures that show the whole scene? (Something other than tight shots of the artists.) Really, of any of the lineups listed above. Or any other similar events at Soldier Field.

The idea that this was part of a larger jazz festival suddenly makes it all make more sense. I had visions of a one-off concert with Trane as the headliner, and a couple openers — none of which made ANY sense to me for that kind of venue. But a multi-day jazz fest is totally plausible, and a horse of a different color entirely (and silly me for not figuring that out myself).

Leni Sinclair was there shooting photos. I have a glossy of Cecil that she took at that concert.

[Rooster_Ties]

1 hour ago, felser said:

Hearing Carlos Ward on the piece adds another variable.

Is Ward confirmed to be on this performance, specifically of A Love Supreme?  Not sure I've seen any mention of that anywhere, but I maybe have overlooked something.  All I saw was the general mention that he could have theoretically been on some of those Penthouse recordings -- but I've seen nothing about this specific one (about Ward).

Joe Brazil and/or Carlos Ward, alto saxophone, may have sat in during some sets

Never mind, I just saw this paragraph in one of the NPR online stories...

Some of this surely has to do with the combination of a telepathic working band and an eager set of interlopers. Along with Coltrane's fearless rhythm section — McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums — the recording includes robust guest contributions by Sanders, alto saxophonist Carlos Ward and a second bassist, Donald "Rafael" Garrett. The chemistry among this cohort is fearsome, and by no means a settled proposition. When the album is released in physical form, it will include liner notes by Porter and another noted Coltrane historian, Ashley Kahn, which shed valuable light on this notion and more.

Edited August 26, 2021 by Rooster_Ties

[david weiss]

3 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Hazy memory says raised stage near near the center, seats of the field, "box seats" in the first couple of rows of the stadium.

Monk cancelled and Blakey was the sub.

Was this an annual festival for a few years? I seem to recall hearing a tape of Freddie Hubbard from there that I think was from 1973.

Edited August 26, 2021 by david weiss

[clifford_thornton]

3 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Is Ward confirmed to be on this performance, specifically of A Love Supreme?  Not sure I've seen any mention of that anywhere, but I maybe have overlooked something.  All I saw was the general mention that he could have theoretically been on some of those Penthouse recordings -- but I've seen nothing about this specific one (about Ward).

Joe Brazil and/or Carlos Ward, alto saxophone, may have sat in during some sets

I'm quite sure he was sitting in and hanging out with Trane at the Penthouse during these gigs. I will have to look through my interview with Carlos to see if I can corroborate anything. His sound is pretty recognizable so if we can hear a clip it should be fairly easy to discern him.

Yes, he confirmed playing a bunch with Trane at the Penthouse when Joe Brazil was recording, though not specifically playing the composition A Love Supreme.

[Pim]

According to the NPR article, Ward is making a guest appearance. I don’t think he’s on all of the tracks. Here’s a first sample

It sounds very good 

[Rooster_Ties]

18 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

Yes, Ward confirmed playing a bunch with Trane at the Penthouse when Joe Brazil was recording, though not specifically playing the composition A Love Supreme.

See my edit above -- an NPR story has confirm Ward, Sanders, and a second bassist (I've never heard of) are all on this specific new recording.

Edited August 26, 2021 by Rooster_Ties

[JSngry]

You should have heard of Donald Garrett by now! but if not, you have now!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Garrett

[Chuck Nessa]

50 minutes ago, david weiss said:

Was this an annual festival for a few years? I seem to recall hearing a tape of Freddie Hubbard from there that I think was from 1973.

No, this was a one off. The Chicago Jazz Festival started in 1979 and in 1982 we had a quartet of Freddie, McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. This was broadcast and the recording gets around.

[JSngry]

Am I wrong in thinking that there's also some silent footage? Or is that someplace else?

[Chuck Nessa]

9 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Am I wrong in thinking that there's also some silent footage? Or is that someplace else?

Possibly - seems to ring a bell. FWIW, I believe Billy Abernathy took this pic at that event.

[tranemonk]

okay, now I have a few questions about this....

1. Has anyone heard what Ravi has to say about this? I assume he knew it existed prior to Resonance reaching out to the estate. 

2. Was there only one set that night? Doesn't it seem odd that 'Trane only played one set of this material? If he was performing it live it's hard to conceive that he only played it once - ever? - Okay I'm editing myself. How does this differ than the Deluxe Edition which had a live performance on it? 

3. Why is this coming out now??? I know it takes a long time to get the rights and stuff.. but????

Edited August 26, 2021 by tranemonk

[erhodes]

[John L]

This is getting to be exciting.

 

[erhodes]

8 hours ago, felser said:

Tyner and Elvin were on the outs at that point.  Live in Seattle has a very disconcerting vibe, and Om is a nightmare.  And this is Trane's most beloved work done in that atmosphere.  And you can't unhear it once you hear it.

No.  On all counts.

That band...those bands...were some of the most exciting and wonderful music I ever heard.  I saw them live...the Meditations sextet with Elvin, Rasheid and Pharoah...at the Jazz Workshop in Boston a month or two after the Seattle date (but before Meditations was recorded).  It literally changed my life...very much for the better.

I will concede that one person's nightmare is another person's dream.  But that's all I will concede.  I won't let this comment go unanswered.  This is the most exciting development in recorded jazz in quite some time.  And Trane & Pharoah is one of the most important and compelling pairings in the history of jazz.

[ep1str0phy]

I saw a ton of posts about this on social media and thought it was a joke. This feels like a huge deal - so much so that this particular release does not seem to necessitate an outsize promotional campaign after the fashion of Both Directions at Once. 

I spent a lot of time researching A Love Supreme after constructing what felt like a timely reworking a few years back, and the proportion of scholarship on this work relative to the amount of available documentation is pretty staggering. What I find particularly fascinating is that the aura of perfection surrounding ALS is probably colored by the fact that it issues from a very particular juncture in Coltrane's discography - like a span of 7 months from the studio album to Antibes. This recording adds another couple of months to the narrative of a composition that feels locked inside of a very particular artistic narrative, which (in terms of '65 Trane) feels equivalent to kicking a spaceship into hyperspace. 

On a personal level, I just have very fond memories of heading out on tour loaded up with all of the available '65 Trane and letting it spin - going on these 12 hour car rides listening to like one year in this dude's life. The fact that there is more - of substance - to that body of work is remarkable, and it reminds me that even written stories are often incomplete. 

Edited August 27, 2021 by ep1str0phy

[ghost of miles]

28 minutes ago, ep1str0phy said:

I saw a ton of posts about this on social media and thought it was a joke. This feels like a huge deal - so much so that this particular release does not seem to necessitate an outsize promotional campaign after the fashion of Both Directions at Once. 

I spent a lot of time researching A Love Supreme after constructing what felt like a timely reworking a few years back, and the proportion of scholarship on this work relative to the amount of available documentation is pretty staggering. What I find particularly fascinating is that the aura of perfection surrounding ALS is probably colored by the fact that it issues from a very particular juncture in Coltrane's discography - like a span of 7 months from the studio album to Antibes. This recording adds another couple of months to the narrative of a composition that feels locked inside of a very particular artistic narrative, which (in terms of '65 Trane) feels equivalent to kicking a spaceship into hyperspace. 

On a personal level, I just have very fond memories of heading out on tour loaded up with all of the available '65 Trane and letting it spin - going on these 12 hour car rides listening to like one year in this dude's life. The fact that there is more - of substance - to that body of work is remarkable, and it reminds me that even written stories are often incomplete. 

I've devoted several Night Lights shows to single years in Coltrane's life--1957, 1962, and 1963--and I've long contemplated doing a 1965 episode.  But it is a daunting year to try to fit into a 59-minute show and feel as if I'm at least doing it basic justice.  

[ep1str0phy]

3 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

I've devoted several Night Lights shows to single years in Coltrane's life--1957, 1962, and 1963--and I've long contemplated doing a 1965 episode.  But it is a daunting year to try to fit into a 59-minute show and feel as if I'm at least doing it basic justice.  

I feel like you could focus on the quartet material and arrive at something pretty satisfactory. The apparent difficulty is in attempting to account for the album length pieces and expanded ensembles.

I sense that this is implicit in your words above, but what is so magical to me about '65 is that it sits at this perfect nexus of refinement and experimentalism. It's just so messy - and I'm not talking about the ostensible avant-garde trappings. Work of comparable significance by, for example, Cecil Taylor feels extremely finished. I'm not even convinced that a lot of '65 Trane is that good - it's just that there are so few moments along the greater timeline of American music, with its tendency to celebrate the exceptional, when someone who is so clearly the "best" at a certain kind of art makes so many decisions that are at turns wildly brave and at others overambitious and perplexing. 

Really - like, is Ascension "good" music? (1) I'm not sure that I care, and (2) I don't think that it matters. It is what it is. 

[GA Russell]

 

IMPULSE! RECORDS ADDS ANOTHER IMPORTANT CHAPTER TO JOHN COLTRANE STORY WITH NEWLY DISCOVERED LIVE RECORDING OF A LOVE SUPREME FROM 1965   Artist Title Time       John Coltrane A Love Supreme, Pt. IV - Psalm (Live In Seattle) 06:40       A LOVE SUPREME: LIVE IN SEATTLE SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 8, 2021   August 26, 2021 (New York, NY) – After nearly six decades, a private recording of a rare, nightclub performance by John Coltrane of his magnum opus, A Love Supreme, is set for commercial release. Recorded in late 1965 on the culminating evening of a historic week-long run at The Penthouse in Seattle, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is a musical revelation of historic importance, capturing Coltrane as he began to expand his classic quartet—adding Pharoah Sanders on second saxophone and Donald Garrett on second bass—and catapulting him into the intense, spiritually focused final phase of his career. Today, you can listen to A Love Supreme, Part IV – Psalm, watch the visualizer here https://JohnColtrane.lnk.to/ALSPIV. The full album A Love Supreme Live in Seattle is for release October 8, on Impulse! Records/UMe. Pre-order now: https://JohnColtrane.lnk.to/LiveInSeattlePR.   The significance of A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is heightened by the fact that Coltrane seldom performed his four-part suite after originally recording it in the studio in 1964. Composed and created as a public declaration of his personal spiritual beliefs and universalist sentiment, it became a best-seller and received a GRAMMY nod the next year. For more than six decades, it seemed the only recorded public performance of A Love Supreme took place at a French festival at Juan-Les-Pains in July 1965 and was released almost twenty years ago. The tape reels containing this performance from October 1965 sat in the private collection of Seattle saxophonist and educator Joe Brazil, heard by a few fortunate musicians and friends—and largely unknown until now.   A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is a fascinating and rare performance of the full suite, marked by a looser and more improvisational approach, and a overriding sense of communal participation—much like a Sunday church service; the lineup featured John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders on saxophones, McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison and Donald (Rafael) Garrett on basses. Carlos Ward, then a young saxophonist just getting started on the scene, sat in as well.   As music historian Ashley Kahn puts it in the liner notes, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle “offers the first evidence of the master of spiritual expression performing his signature work in the close confines of a jazz club…on October 2, 1965, a Saturday, in Seattle, the necessary elements were in alignment: music, players, venue, a spirit of connection, a certain political charge. Coltrane chose to perform it, and significantly, the moment was recorded.”   Kahn’s extensive liner notes tell the story of A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle not only through the words of the musicians themselves, but also through a number of witnesses whose lives were changed by Coltrane’s visit to Seattle in 1965 (his sole visit to the city as a leader), including Brazil, Ward, and bassist David Friesen, who states: “I’ve always pursued the spiritual aspect of the music and I still do. I remember sitting with Coltrane during one break that week and…what touched me was the way he treated other people. He showed mercy and kindness to people from what I could see around me for the week that I was there.”   The music on A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle was recorded with a two-microphone set-up onstage, connected to an Ampex reel-to-reel machine, and the only copies of the tapes were well cared for, yielding a remarkably clear and distortion-free recording. “What’s remarkable is that tapes from this era often suffer over the years from heat or moisture damage, or simply being stacked horizontally,” writes engineer Kevin Reeves who produced this release. “However, these tapes are in excellent condition… and the results are among the best amateur recordings of John Coltrane we’ve had the pleasure to work on.”   The story of the A Love Supreme suite is the story of John Coltrane—his musical journey, and his spiritual path. It has become one of the most celebrated and influential recordings to come out of the jazz canon, revered and studied by musicians far beyond the jazz realm. Rolling Stone magazine consistently lists it among the top albums of all time. “Of his many musical creations, Coltrane looked upon A Love Supreme in a very special light,” Kahn notes in the liner notes to A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle. “He called A Love Supreme a ‘humble offering to the Divine; no other composition or recording was similarly offered nor did he append his signature to any other work. A Love Supreme was as much an individual testament as it was a public statement—a sermon of universalist belief.” A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle now expands the story of both a great musician and a timeless piece of music.   A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle   A Love Supreme, Pt. 1 – Acknowledgement (Live in Seattle/1965) Interlude 1 (Live in Seattle/1965) A Love Supreme, Pt. II – Resolution (Live in Seattle/1965) Interlude 2 (Live in Seattle/1965) A Love Supreme, Pt. III – Pursuance (Live in Seattle/1965) Interlude 3 (Live in Seattle/1965) Interlude 4 (Live in Seattle/1965) A Love Supreme, Pt. IV – Psalm (Live in Seattle/1965)   Recorded by Joe Brazil at The Penthouse, Seattle WA Restored and Mastered by Kevin Reeves at East Iris Studios, Nashville, TN

Edited August 27, 2021 by GA Russell