Coltrane Live On the Road
SO MANY THINGS. The European Tour – 1961. John Coltrane Quintet (featuring Eric Dolphy). Acrobat Records.
Cover art courtesy of MVD.
This amazing 4-record set features the legendary John Coltrane live on the road with his band circa 1961. Slated for release on March 10, the compilation chronicles Coltrane’s tour through Europe with his Quintet (spotlighting Eric Dolphy on alto sax, bass clarinet and flute). In the autumn of 1961, the band took a whirl-wind peek at Paris, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm, performing 30 shows in less than 3 weeks – this vibrant bloom of progressive jazz pushing both audience and musician to the far altars of consciousness. Fragments of these shows have previously been available, but the sound quality of the tapes was always rough, detracting from the totality of the experience. That’s all changed with So Many Things. Finally, Coltrane aficionados have a polished assemblage of this feast for the ears: the tapes expertly remastered to showcase Coltrane at the peak of his powers. Highlights include “Blue Train” from Paris (First House); and “Impressions” from Copenhagen. If you’re a serious student of the genre, this one is an absolute must-own, allowing you to embark on a brand new voyage into the heart of one of the most brilliant players to ever grace a stage.
SO MANY THINGS
CD 1:
L’Olympia, Paris, November 18, 1961 (First House)
1. Blue Train (Coltrane)
2. I Want To Talk About You (Eckstine)
3. Impressions (Coltrane)
4. My Favourite Things (Rodgers, Hammerstein)L’Olympia, Paris, November 18, 1961 (Second House)
5. I Want To Talk About You (Eckstine)
6. Blue Train (Coltrane)CD 2:
L’Olympia, Paris, November 18, 1961 (Second House, continued)
1. My Favourite Things (Rodgers, Hammerstein)Falkconercentret, Copenhagen, Denmark, November 20, 1961
2. Announcement
3. Delilah (Young)
4. Everytime We Say Goodbye (Porter)
5. Impressions (Coltrane)
6. Naima (Coltrane)CD 3:
Falkonercentret, Copenhagen, Denmark, November 20, 1961 (continued)
1. My Favourite Things (false starts)
2. Announcement by John Coltrane
3. My Favourite Things (Rodgers, Hammerstein)Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki, Finland, November 22, 1961 (Second House)
4. Blue Train (Coltrane)
5. I Want To Talk About You (Eckstine)
6. Impressions (Coltrane)
7. My Favourite Things (Rodgers, Hammerstein)CD 4:
Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden, November 23, 1961 (First House)
1. Blue Train (Coltrane)
2. Naima (Coltrane)
3. Impressions (Coltrane)
4. My Favourite Things (Rodgers, Hammerstein)Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden, November 23, 1961 (Second House)
5. My Favourite Things (Rodgers, Hammerstein)
by John Aiello
Electric Review 