In his last years, John Coltrane made some rather intense music. It’s not “toe tapping” or “finger popping.” It is rather dissonant and angular. Some folks really dislike this music. Some folks find it incredibly rich, but can only take it in small doses. Some find it controversial. Some find it utterly brilliant. Some find it completely unlistenable. Some find it a combination of all of those things and the obvious contradictions within them.
In his final years, John Coltrane takes music to places we have yet to return, to which some would say we should never return. Coltrane is the herald signaling the end of the period of Modernity (if you subscribe to the notion that we are now in the Post-Modern era) as he tears down the Jericho like walls of conventional music theory and improvisational rules. And to some, the result is little more than noise.
I cannot fault you if you do not like this music. I do ask that if you do listen, that you try to put aside you expectations and comfortable musical associations. It does not get more avant-garde than some of this without gimmick or unreproducible novelty or electronics. It is virtually impossible to be further away from modern pop music with this without seeking music made by peoples who do not participate in an advanced capitalist state. Some might say this music couldn’t be further away from Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, or even Charlie Parker either. Others would disagree.
My intention over the coming weeks is to begin to engage Jazz Fusion and other more current trends in Jazz (as well as other historical stuff, especially Stan Kenton) and I want this music by Trane to be “on the table”…..so without further adieu…..
Welcome to my Sunday evening Jazz bloggings. It is here that I share my Miles Davis-centric take on Jazz music and related genres. I try to publish a diary every Sunday evening around 10pm. I took last week off! I do recognize that music can be somewhat controversial and folks may disagree with some of the opinions I profess, please feel free to comment.
Dear Lord (with Roy Haynes on Drums!)
Fooled ya! Not all late Coltrane is dissonant. Some is quite somber and beautiful. But that first cut is from 65 and its still the classic Coltrane Quartet. That would be John on Tenor and Soprano Sax, McCoy Tyner on piano and Jimmy Garrison on Bass. McCoy and Elvin had been on John’s 1961 release of My Favorite Things. I have previous diaries about the earlier stages in John's career. Please do check my diary list.
But as the 60s went on, John became more interested in the Avant-garde. The influence of Albery Ayler on him is strong and John champions younger artists like Archie Schepp and Pharoah Sanders. All of these men record for the !Impulse label and this has everything to do with John’s influence with the label.
Living Space—June 1965
The quartet with John overdubbing Soprano sax. In the early 70s, Alice Coltrane, John’s wife added a string section to recordings from this session. They are very low in the mix of this tune and you can here it best in the quiet moments. Mostly it’s just drones.
Alice Coltrane (harp, tambura) Joan Chapman (tambura) Oran Coltrane (bells) + string section: Murray Adler (concertmaster) James Getzoff or Jerry Vinci, Gordon Marron, Michael White (violin) Rollice Dale, Myra Kestenbaum (viola) Jesse Ehrlich, Ed Lustgarten (cello)
“The Way You Look Tonight” this is not. Nor is anything to follow.
A few weeks later, John goes back into the studio to record what many have called a watershed recording in the history of Free jazz. The recording, “Ascention,” was released in 1966.
In addition to the Quartet, the recording adds: Freddie Hubbard, Dewey Johnson (trumpet) Marion Brown, John Tchicai (alto saxophone) Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp (tenor saxophone) Art Davis (bass) Elvin Jones (drums)
For the most part completely improvised by all involved, there are two takes called Edition 1 and Edition 2. This is Edition 1.
Remember this is 1965/66. Now imagine you’re a hipster in 1966 and after you listened to Ascention, you put this on…..
To me…these two “feel right” together. Perhaps some of the unspoken sentiment is the same between the two. Perhaps it’s simply a similarity in the recording technology I hear. But the words Mister Lennon says are perhaps the best advice to heed when listening to this music by Mister Coltrane.
“Sun Ship” was released in 1971 but recorded in August of 65. It is just the Quartet, but the Avant-garde and Free Jazz is on full display.
Ascent
Dearly Beloved
This was followed by “First Meditations”, recorded in September of 65 but not released until 1977. These are the last recordings by the quartet and are quite intense.
Joy
John began to experiment more with larger groups. Sanders became a regular member of the group in 1965. I wrote a diary about McCoy Tyner about a month ago and I included a link to Coltrane’s recording known as “Om” so I won’t repeat myself so soon. “Om” is another important fee jazz release and some say Coltrane was on LSD during its recording. This has never been confirmed, but is certainly within the realm of possibility. Trane kicked heroin in 1957, but many of the musicians who kicked did not go on to live strictly drug fee lives.
OM was recorded on October 1st of 1965, but Kulu Se Mama was recorded on the 14th
Kulu Se Mama—Title Track
In addition to the quartet, it adds: Donald Garrett (bass clarinet, bass) Pharoah Sanders (tenor saxophone) Frank Butler (drums, percussion) Juno Lewis (vocals, percussion)
McCoy leaves at the end of the year. Elvin leaves in January of 1966. In an article posted on All About Jazz, there are these quotes from Elvin.
" ‘At times I couldn't hear what I was doing—matter of fact, I couldn't hear what anybody was doing. All I could hear was a lot of noise." But, shortly after Coltrane's death in July 1967, Jones defended the saxophonist's late music: "Well, of course it's far out, because this is a tremendous mind that's involved, you know. You wouldn't expect Einstein to be playing jacks, would you?’ "
Alice McCleod, August 27, 1937 – January 12, 2007, was born in Detroit. She studied piano and harp and even took lesson with Bud Powell in Paris. In the early 60s, she was the pianist in vibraphonist Terry Gibbs’ band. It was with Gibbs that she met John Coltrane. The two were married in 1965. After McCoy leaves, Alice Coltrane takes the piano seat with John.
Rashied Ali, July 1, 1933 – August 12, 2009, was born Robert Patterson in Philadelphia. Rashied replaces Elvin.
When I was a teenager in the 80s, I could buy “cut out” records and tapes at the local woolworths. It must have been 1983 or 84. Most of the stuff was garbage, but I did get a few interesting things: an old compellation record of 60s his by the Small Faces and the Nice, 3 Emerson Lake and Palmer records, and a cassette of John Coltrane’s “Live at the Village Vanguard Again”. I listened to it once and was in shock. I had learned to plunk out the melody and chords for Naima already and I was captivated. I do think I listened to this several more times while still in High School, but also don’t think I listened to it again until a few years later. Its rather intense and for some its among their favorite Coltrane releases.
Naima—In addition to John, Alice, Rashied and Jimmy Garrion, there is Pharoah Sanders (flute, tenor saxophone, percussion) and Emanuel Rahim (percussion)
May 28, 1966
Part 1
Part 2
Take a moment to imagine being someone who likes Kind of Blue and Giant Steps and Monk and Sonny Rollins. Much of this later Coltrane is released posthumously, so the records people had were from his earlier periods. It’s hard to imagine just what the reaction to being presented with this music may have been.
From live in Tokyo, the new quartet with Pharoah Sanders. Tokyo, Japan, July 11, 1966
Peace on Earth
One of my dad’s friends told a story about taking some guests into NYC to see Coltrane play live. It was 66 or 67 and this music is what they heard. The guest politely asked to leave early.
As we enter 1967, I think we lack the discourse to truly comment on this music. As I’ve said and implied frequently, some folks hate this music and think it nothing but noise. Others might say it breaks boundaries, that it is a pure connection to the divine. Perhaps it becomes more like prayer than music, but one would hard pressed to call this exactly meditative.
Released in 1995, the material for “Stellar Regions” was recorded on February 15, 1967. This is just the new quartet.
Sepharic Light
There is tune called Transonic on the record where folks claim John is playing Alto Sax. I really don’t know this recording and I can’t find it on youtube.
Two weeks later, John records a duo session with Rasheid, Interstellar Space, which was released in 1974.
Jupiter
And then on March 7th the Quartet records the “Expression” album. The recordings for this album are the last John would do in the studio. Expressions was also the final album that Coltrane “Approved” of.
Ogunde
On April 23, 1967, John and the Quartet with Pharoah and Algie DeWitt and Juma on percussion added performed at the Olatunji Center Of African Culture. It is his last recorded live performance.
My Favorite Things
Part 1 Trane enters around 7:55 mark for total insanity and you can slightly hear the melody around 10:50.
Part 2
Part 3
John Coltrane died on July 17th, 1967 of Hepatitis. He had quit heroin in 1957, but folks say the damage had already been done to his body. He also never stopped smoking cigarettes. His teeth were also pretty messed up and caused him pain.
The musical production at the end of his life is not everyone’s cup of tea. Most of us don’t understand it. It places too many demands of us as listener. It goes places of which we cannot conceive. It displays a technical virtuosity that can be hard to follow. And to some, this music is musical masturbation; self-indulgent technique for technique’s sake.
I disagree. I like and appreciate it. But I will not pretend to say that I choose to listen to this music often. And I am not ashamed to say that I really don’t understand all of it. Still, many have tried to match this music and I do not think anyone quite has yet. Maybe Hendrix did in his own way, but what Trane did was beyond most mortals. The question is, how does one follow this stuff? Miles had an answer…but that’s for another time.
Thanks for listening everyone. Please support your local jazz musicians and all local live music….and school music education programs! Rock on……