JOHN LEWIS - John Lewis Presents : Jazz Abstractions (1961-2013) RM / Jazz Best Collection 1000 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although John Lewis is listed as the leader (this album's alternate title is "John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music"), the pianist does not actually appear on this record and only contributed one piece ("Django"). On what is very much a Gunther Schuller project, Schuller composed "Abstraction" and was responsible for the adventurous three-part "Variants on a Theme of John Lewis (Django)" and the four-part "Variants on a Theme of Thelonious Monk (Criss-Cross)"; Jim Hall contributed "Piece for Guitar & Strings." One of the most successful third stream efforts, this LP combines avant-garde jazz with aspects of classical music. Among the more notable stars, altoist Ornette Coleman is on "Abstraction" and "Criss Cross" (both of which have been reissued in his Rhino CD box) and multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy is on both of the "Variants." Other musicians in the eclectic cast include guitarist Hall, bassist Scott LaFaro, pianist Bill Evans, and several classical string players. This is very interesting music. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1    Abstraction    4:06
Gunther Schuller
John Lewis ft. Gunther Schuller
2    Piece For Guitar & Strings    6:22
Jim Hall
John Lewis ft. Gunther Schuller
Variants On A Theme Of John Lewis (Django)    10:15
3    Variant I    5:27
4    Variant II    1:38
5    Variant III    3:10
Gunther Schuller
John Lewis ft. Gunther Schuller
Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk (Criss-Cross)    15:23
6    Variant I    6:22
7    Variant II    1:49
8    Variant III    4:12
9    Variant IV    3:00
Gunther Schuller
John Lewis ft. Gunther Schuller
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman (tracks: 1, 6 to 9)
Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 3 to 9)
Bass – Alvin Brehm (tracks: 1), George Duvivier (tracks: 3 to 9), Scott LaFaro
Cello – Joseph Tekula
Composed By – Gunther Schuller (tracks: 1, 3 to 9), Jim Hall (tracks: 2 )
Drums – Stick Evans (tracks: 1, 3 to 9)
Flute – Robert DiDomenica (tracks: 3 to 9)
Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano – Bill Evans (tracks: 3 to 9)
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Eddie Costa (tracks: 3 to 9)
Viola – Alfred Brown (tracks: 2), Harry Zaratzian
Violin – Charles Libove, Roland Vamos 

JOE LOVANO / MARILYN CRISPELL / CARMEN CASTALDI - Trio Tapestry (2019) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though most often associated with his swinging post-bop albums for Blue Note, saxophonist Joe Lovano is no stranger to the ECM label. He first recorded with producer Manfred Eicher's storied German institution in 1981 for drummer Paul Motian's album Psalm, playing alongside bassist Ed Schuller and guitarist Bill Frisell. Since then he has made several appearances on the label, including further hits with Motian (who died in 2011), as well as pianist Steve Kuhn and guitarist John Abercrombie. With 2019's deeply atmospheric Trio Tapestry, Lovano takes his relationship with ECM to the next logical and long-awaited plateau: by leading his first session for the label. Joining him are longtime associates in pianist Marilyn Crispell and fellow Cleveland native/drummer Carmen Castaldi. Lovano first played with Crispell in 2006 in a group that included Motian. He's known Castaldi since he was a teenager, and also as a student at Boston's Berklee School of Music, where they both studied. Having started her career in the '70s playing free jazz, Crispell has evolved into a deeply nuanced and harmonically engaging performer whose style often works as a bridge between the avant-garde and more accessible playing. This in-between bridge is what Lovano's trio explores on a set of original compositions that work more as impressionistic sound explorations than traditional, standards-based improvisations. Silence plays a huge role in the trio's sound. "One Time In" opens with a skittering clang of cymbals and a gong, and then there's nothing until Lovano's mournful, bird-like saxophone breaks through the metallic glow. Similarly, "Sparkle Lights" begins as a piano/sax duo with Lovano and Crispell playing a hushed, diminished-sounding phrase that gives way to emptiness before the trio delicately push back against the silence with icy harmonic swells. Elsewhere, they take a more tangible approach, offering up the melancholy balladry of "Seeds of Change," and growl through the atonal Ornette Coleman-ism of "The Smiling Dog." Primarily however, tracks like the evocative "Mystic" (which sounds like it was recorded in a large church, or empty gorge), and the aptly titled "Gong Episode," remain enigmatic, as if Lovano and his bandmates are less interested in a playing music, than in playing the space around them. by Matt Collar 
Tracklist:
1 One Time In 3:41
Joe Lovano
2 Seeds of Change 5:13
Joe Lovano
3 Razzle Dazzle 3:40
Joe Lovano
4 Sparkle Lights 4:07
Joe Lovano
5 Mystic 8:25
Joe Lovano
6 Piano/Drum Episode 3:40
Joe Lovano
7 Gong Episode 2:01
Joe Lovano
8 Rare Beauty 6:18
Joe Lovano
9 Spirit Lake 3:49
Joe Lovano
10 Tarrassa 4:15
Joe Lovano
11 The Smilling Dog 2:55
Joe Lovano
Credits:
Drums, Percussion – Carmen Castaldi
Piano – Marilyn Crispell
Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher
Tenor Saxophone, Tárogató [Tarogato], Gong [Gongs] – Joe Lovano

JOHN COLTRANE - Olé Coltrane (1961-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The complicated rhythm patterns and diverse sonic textures on Olé Coltrane are evidence that John Coltrane was once again charting his own course. His sheer ability as a maverick -- beyond his appreciable musical skills -- guides works such as this to new levels, ultimately advancing the entire art form. Historically, it's worth noting that recording had already commenced two days prior to this session on Africa/Brass, Coltrane's debut for the burgeoning Impulse! label. The two sets complement each other, suggesting a shift in the larger scheme of Coltrane's musical motifs. The assembled musicians worked within a basic quartet setting, featuring Coltrane on soprano and tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums, with double-bass chores held down by Art Davis and Reggie Workman. Added to that are significant contributions and interactions with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and Eric Dolphy on flute and alto sax (although Dolphy's contract with another record label prevented him from being properly credited on initial pressings of the album). The title track is striking in its resemblance to the Spanish influence heard on Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. This is taken a bit further as Coltrane's combo stretches out with inspired improvisations from Dolphy, Hubbard, Tyner, and Coltrane, respectively. "Olé" likewise sports some amazing double-bass interaction. The combination of a bowed upright bass played in tandem with the same instrument that is being plucked has a sinister permeation that undoubtedly excited Coltrane, who was perpetually searching for sounds outside the norm. The haunting beauty of "Aisha" stands as one of the finest collaborative efforts between Tyner, the song's author, and Coltrane. The solos from Hubbard, Dolphy, and an uncredited Tyner gleam from within the context of a single facet in a multi-dimensional jewel. [Some reissues include an extra track cut during the same sessions, "To Her Ladyship."] by Lindsay Planer  

Tracklist:

1 Olé 18:13
Written-By – John Coltrane
2 Dahomey Dance 10:49
Written-By – John Coltrane
3 Aisha 7:37
Written-By – McCoy Tyner
- Bonus Track -
4 Original Untitled Ballad (To Her Ladyship) 8:58
Written-By – Billy Frazier 
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – George Lane (tracks: 2)
Bass – Art Davis (tracks: 1, 3, 4), Reggie Workman
Drums – Elvin Jones
Flute – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 4), George Lane
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 2)
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

JOHN COLTRANE - Afro Blue Impressions (1977-1992) MONO / 2xCD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The recordings that make up Afro Blue Impressions were acquired by jazz impresario/auteur Norman Granz during the tours he produced for many jazz artists during the 1960s, though they weren't issued until 1973. Recorded at shows in Berlin and Stockholm, the John Coltrane Quartet -- with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones -- is in tremendous form here, using a familiar repertoire in order to expand upon the group's own building blocks in creating the new post-harmonic system that the saxophonist was developing. This is evident almost immediately in the first few minutes of opening number "Lonnie's Lament," where Coltrane begins reaching with his arpeggios to notes that aren't even on the horn in his frenetic solo and his duet with Jones. That said, there is enough of the quartet's own engagement with the tune's original architecture to satisfy all but the most conservative of Coltrane listeners. The brilliant razor-sharp focus on restraint and lyricism applied in "Naima" reveals Tyner utilizing numerous subtly shaded chord voicings to prod Coltrane's tender lyric exploration of the melody. Of course, the 21-minute version of "My Favorite Things" points directly at the territories the quartet would explore on the forthcoming albums Crescent and A Love Supreme and, in its most adventurous moments, somewhere beyond them. Tyner's arpeggios and ostinatos are sharp and fleet here, responding to Jones' driving snare and cymbals. Coltrane's soprano moves between blues, Dorian modes, and even Eastern scalar articulations in his solo. "Afro Blue" is a rhythm collision, where mode gives way to some of Trane's most angular soprano playing, pushing the limits of the instrument and his own dexterity to near breaking points. As the two long set-closers -- "Spiritual" and "Impressions" -- reveal, the group was not yet finished with more formal structures. They push at them, but still engage conventional ideas of harmony even as modes and meta scales dominate. Ample evidence can be found in the moaning gospel overtones of the former, which bring out the deep blues in Tyner's solo, and in Coltrane's knotty bop head, which commences the latter in advance of his manic, wildly imaginative solo. Afro Blue Impressions is the sound of one of the greatest -- albeit short-lived -- quartets in jazz history completely coming into its own in concert.
(This comment is posted on allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog O Púbis da Rosa)
Tracklist 1 :
1 Lonnie's Lament 10:15
John Coltrane
2 Naima 8:05
John Coltrane

3 Chasin' the Trane 5:47

John Coltrane

4 My Favorite Things 21:11

Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
Tracklist 2 :
1 Afro Blue 7:43
Mongo Santamaria
2 Cousin Mary 9:55
John Coltrane

3 I Want to Talk About You 8:20

Billy Eckstine
4 Spiritual 12:29
John Coltrane

5 Impressions 11:36

John Coltrane

Credits:

Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
Note:
Disc 1 & Disc 2, tracks 1-3: recorded live during a tour of Europe, 1963.
Disc 2, tracks 4-5: recorded live in Stockholm, October 22, 1963.

JOHN COLTRANE - Impressions (1963-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Impressions is a hodgepodge of memorable John Coltrane performances from the 1961-1963 period. "India" and "Impressions" are taken from Trane's famous November 1961 engagement at the Village Vanguard; bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy is heard on the former while the latter features a marathon solo from Coltrane on tenor. Also included on this set are 1962's "Up 'Gainst the Wall" and the classic of the album, 1963's "After the Rain." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 India 14:10
John Coltrane
2 Up 'Gainst the Wall 3:17
John Coltrane

3 Impressions 15:05

John Coltrane

4 After the Rain 4:27

John Coltrane

Credits:

Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 3)
Bass – Jimmy Garrison, Reggie Workman (tracks: 1)
Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 1)
Drums – Elvin Jones (tracks: 1 to 3), Roy Haynes (tracks: 4)
Piano – McCoy Tyner (tracks: 1, 3 to 4)
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 1)
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 2 to 4)
Written-By – John Coltrane

JOHN COLTRANE - Live at Birdland (1963-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Arguably John Coltrane's finest all-around album, this recording has brilliant versions of "Afro Blue" and "I Want to Talk About You"; the second half of the latter features Coltrane on unaccompanied tenor tearing into the piece but never losing sight of the fact that it is a beautiful ballad. The remainder of this album ("Alabama," "The Promise," and "Your Lady") is almost at the same high level. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Afro Blue 10:49
Mongo Santamaria
2 I Want to Talk About You 8:10
Billy Eckstine
3 The Promise 8:07
John Coltrane
4 Alabama 5:08
John Coltrane

5 Your Lady 6:37

John Coltrane

Credits:

Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane
Written-By – John Coltrane (tracks: 3 to 5)

JOHN COLTRANE - Crescent (1964-1987) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

John Coltrane's Crescent from the spring of 1964 is an epic album, showing his meditative side that would serve as a perfect prelude to his immortal work A Love Supreme. His finest quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones supports the somewhat softer side of Coltrane, and while not completely in ballad style, the focus and accessible tone of this recording work wonders for anyone willing to sit back and let this music enrich and wash over you. While not quite at the "sheets of sound" unfettered music he would make before his passing in 1967, there are hints of this group stretching out in restrained dynamics, playing as lovely a progressive jazz as heard anywhere in any time period. The highlights come at the top with the reverent, ruminating, and free ballad "Crescent," with a patient Coltrane acquiescing to swinging, while the utterly beautiful "Wise One" is accented by the delicate and chime-like musings of Tyner with a deeply hued tenor from Coltrane unrushed even in a slight Latin rhythm. These are the ultimate spiritual songs, and ultimately two of the greatest in Coltrane's storied career. But "Bessie's Blues" and "Lonnie's Lament" are just as revered in the sense that they are covered by jazz musicians worldwide, the former a hard bop wonder with a classic short repeat chorus, the latter one of the most somber, sad jazz ballad reflections in a world full of injustice and unfairness -- the ultimate eulogy. Garrison and especially Jones are put through their emotional paces, but on the finale "The Drum Thing," the African-like tom-tom sounds extracted by Jones with Coltrane's sighing tenor, followed by some truly amazing case study-frantic snare drumming, makes it one to be revisited. In the liner notes, a quote from Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka states John Coltrane was "daringly human," and no better example of this quality transferred to musical endeavor is available than on this definitive, must have album that encompasses all that he was and eventually would become. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist:
1 Crescent 8:44
John Coltrane
2 Wise One 9:03
John Coltrane
3 Bessie's Blues 3:34
John Coltrane
4 Lonnie's Lament 11:47
John Coltrane
5 The Drum Thing 7:23
John Coltrane
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – John Coltrane

JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET - The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (1965-2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the turning points in the career of John Coltrane came in 1965. The great saxophonist, whose playing was always very explorative and searching, crossed the line into atonality during that year, playing very free improvisations (after stating quick throwaway themes) that were full of passion and fury. This particular studio album has two standards (a stirring "Chim Chim Cheree" and "Nature Boy") along with two recent Coltrane originals ("Brazilia" and "Song of Praise"). Art Davis plays the second bass on "Nature Boy," but otherwise this set (a perfect introduction for listeners to Coltrane's last period) features the classic quartet comprised of the leader, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Chim Chim Cheree 6:58
Richard M. Sherman / Robert B. Sherman
2 Brazilia 12:57
John Coltrane
3 Nature Boy 8:03
Eden Ahbez
4 Song of Praise 9:47
John Coltrane
Credits:
Bass – Art Davis (tracks: 3), Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 1)
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 2 to 4)

JOHN COLTRANE - A Love Supreme (1965-2002) 2xCD / DELUXE EDITION / RM / FLAC (tracks), lossless

One of the most important records ever made, John Coltrane's A Love Supreme was his pinnacle studio outing, that at once compiled all of the innovations from his past, spoke to the current of deep spirituality that liberated him from addictions to drugs and alcohol, and glimpsed at the future innovations of his final two and a half years. Recorded over two days in December 1964, Trane's classic quartet--Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Garrison-- stepped into the studio and created one of the most the most thought-provoking, concise, and technically pleasing albums of their bountiful relationship. From the undulatory (and classic) bassline at the intro to the last breathy notes, Trane is at the peak of his logical and emotionally varied soloing, while the rest of the group is completely atttuned to his spiritual vibe. Composed of four parts, each has a thematic progression. "Acknowledgement" is the awakening to a spiritual life from the darkness of the world; it trails off with the saxophonist chanting the suite's title. "Resolution" is an amazingly beautiful, somewhat turbulent segment. It portrays the dedication required for discovery on the path toward spiritual understanding. "Pursuance" searches deeply for that experience, while "Psalm" portrays that discovery and the realization of enlightenment with humility. Although sometimes aggressive and dissonant, this isn't Coltrane at his most furious or adventurous. His recordings following this period--studio and live-- become progressively untethered and extremely spirited. A Love Supreme not only attempts but realizes the ambitious undertaking of Coltrane's concept; his emotional, searching, sometimes prayerful journey is made abundantly clear. Clocking in at 33 minutes; A Love Supreme conveys much without overstatement. It is almost impossible to imagine any jazz collection without it. by Sam Samuelson  
Tracklist 1:
1. John Coltrane Part 1 - Acknowledgement 7:43
Vocals – John Coltrane
2. John Coltrane Part 2 - Resolution 7:20
3. John Coltrane Part 3 - Pursuance 10:42
4. John Coltrane Part 4 - Psalm 7:05
Tracklist 2:
1. André Francis Introduction By André Francis 1:13
2. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 1 - Acknowledgement (Live Version) 6:12
3. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 2 - Resolution (Live Version) 11:37
4. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 3 - Pursuance (Live Version) 21:30
5. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 4 - Psalm (Live Version) 8:49
6. John Coltrane Part 2 - Resolution (Alternative Take) 7:25
7. John Coltrane Part 2 - Resolution (Breakdown) 2:13
8. John Coltrane Part 1 - Acknowlegement (Alternative Take) 9:09
Bass – Art Davis
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
9. John Coltrane Part 1 - Acknowlegement (Alternative Take) 9:23
Bass – Art Davis
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Engineer [Original Studio Recordings], Mastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone, Liner Notes [Original Liner Notes], Composed By – John Coltrane

JOHN COLTRANE / ARCHIE SHEPP - New Thing At Newport (1965-2009) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The classic John Coltrane Quartet made one of its final appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1965. The tension among bandmembers is evident on the advanced versions of "One Down, One Up" and "My Favorite Things." Coltrane's performance is moving...yet weary. It's apparent the saxophonist wasn't getting the sound he wanted and by the end of the year he would take a different direction, hiring Pharoah Sanders and wife Alice Coltrane for the band. Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp's earlier afternoon New Thing performance includes engaging versions of "Call Me by My Rightful Name" and "Gingerbread, Gingerbread Boy" (included as a bonus track on this package) with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. by Al Campbell
Tracklist:
1 –Father Norman O'Connor Introduction To John Coltrane's Set 1:09
2 –John Coltrane One Down, One Up 12:28
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
Written-By – John Coltrane
3 –Archie Shepp Rufus (Swung His Face At Last To The Wind, Then His Neck Snapped 4:58
Written-By – Archie Shepp
4 –Archie Shepp Le Matin Des Noire 7:39
Written-By – Archie Shepp
5 –Archie Shepp Scag 3:04
Written-By – Archie Shepp
6 –Archie Shepp Call Me By My Rightful Name 6:19
Written-By – Archie Shepp
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Garrison (track, 2)
Drums – Elvin Jones (track, 2)
Piano – McCoy Tyner (track, 2)
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane (track, 2)
Bass – Barre Phillips (tracks: 3 to 6)
Drums – Joe Chambers (tracks: 3 to 6)
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp (tracks: 3 to 6)
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson (tracks: 3 to 6)

JOHN COLTRANE QUINTET - Live at the Village Vanguard Again! (1966-1997) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Live at the Village Vanguard Again! is one of the more hotly contested albums in John Coltrane's catalog. Released less than a year before his death, the original recording showcased his new quintet with Alice Coltrane, piano; Pharoah Sanders, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Garrison, bass; and Rashied Ali, drums. Additional percussion on the date was provided by Emanuel Rahim. The three selections here are what survive from a much longer tape. Coltrane's signature ballad "Naima" opens the album and goes on for over 15 minutes. One of the most iconic tunes in his repertoire, the treatment it is given here is radical. While the melody is referenced in the beginning, Coltrane moves it aside fairly quickly to concentrate on improvisation. His tenor solo (heard in the left channel) begins in earnest a minute-and-a-half in. He gradually deconstructs the various phrases in the lyric to blow passionately through them. By the time Sanders begins his (overly long) tenor solo (right channel), the abstraction becomes total. His intensity and ferocity are simply more than the ballad calls for. Even when Coltrane returns to solo again, and gradually winds it down, he has to begin at that hot peak. "Naima" is a different tune when all is said and done. "My Favorite Things" is in two parts. The first six minutes belong to a gorgeous, imaginative solo by Garrison. The tune's familiar theme is not stated by Coltrane until after the mode is introduced; then bits and pieces of the melody are brought in until they become -- however briefly -- the whole head line. It disappears quickly -- even though referenced occasionally throughout Coltrane's solos. His soprano solos are intense but utterly beautiful. His playing is pure passion and creative imagination, ever aware of the shimmering block chords played by Alice. Ali skitters propulsively around them, driving insistently until he's allowed to let loose when Sanders and his tenor begin their violent wail that simply disregards the entire tune save for one quote near the end to bring Coltrane back in. Sanders screams through his horn throughout his solo, and when Coltrane rejoins him, it's to meet him and try to rein him in; it leaves the listener exhausted after its 25-minute run. Live at the Village Vanguard Again! is certainly not for Coltrane newcomers, and may indeed only hold value for his most ardent followers despite its many qualities. (This comment is posted on allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog O Púbis da Rosa)
Tracklist:
1 Naima 15:11
John Coltrane
2 My Favorite Things (Intro) 6:07
Jimmy Garrison
3 My Favorite Things 20:21
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers

Credits:

Bass – Jimmy Garrison

Drums – Rashied Ali

Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Rudy Van Gelder

Percussion – Emanuel Rahim

Piano – Alice Coltrane

Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – John Coltrane

MILES DAVIS - In a Silent Way (1969-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Listening to Miles Davis' originally released version of In a Silent Way in light of the complete sessions released by Sony in 2001 (Columbia Legacy 65362) reveals just how strategic and dramatic a studio construction it was. If one listens to Joe Zawinul's original version of "In a Silent Way," it comes across as almost a folk song with a very pronounced melody. The version Miles Davis and Teo Macero assembled from the recording session in July of 1968 is anything but. There is no melody, not even a melodic frame. There are only vamps and solos, grooves layered on top of other grooves spiraling toward space but ending in silence. But even these don't begin until almost ten minutes into the piece. It's Miles and McLaughlin, sparely breathing and wending their way through a series of seemingly disconnected phrases until the groove monster kicks in. The solos are extended, digging deep into the heart of the ethereal groove, which was dark, smoky, and ashen. McLaughlin and Hancock are particularly brilliant, but Corea's solo on the Fender Rhodes is one of his most articulate and spiraling on the instrument ever. The A-side of the album, "Shhh/Peaceful," is even more so. With Tony Williams shimmering away on the cymbals in double time, Miles comes out slippery and slowly, playing over the top of the vamp, playing ostinato and moving off into more mysterious territory a moment at a time. With Zawinul's organ in the background offering the occasional swell of darkness and dimension, Miles could continue indefinitely. But McLaughlin is hovering, easing in, moving up against the organ and the trills by Hancock and Corea; Wayne Shorter hesitantly winds in and out of the mix on his soprano, filling space until it's his turn to solo. But John McLaughlin, playing solos and fills throughout (the piece is like one long dreamy solo for the guitarist), is what gives it its open quality, like a piece of music with no borders as he turns in and through the commingling keyboards as Holland paces everything along. When the first round of solos ends, Zawinul and McLaughlin and Williams usher it back in with painterly decoration and illumination from Corea and Hancock. Miles picks up on another riff created by Corea and slips in to bring back the ostinato "theme" of the work. He plays glissando right near the very end, which is the only place where the band swells and the tune moves above a whisper before Zawinul's organ fades it into silence. This disc holds up, and perhaps is even stronger because of the issue of the complete sessions. It is, along with Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew, a signature Miles Davis session from the electric era. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Shhh / Peaceful 18:21
Written-By – M. Davis
2 In A Silent Way - It's About That Time 19:53
Written-By – J. Zawinul, M. Davis
Credits:
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Piano – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Organ, Electric Piano – Josef Zawinul
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Miles Davis

CODONA - Codona (1979) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Their definitive debut. Walcot adds dulcimer and sanza, Nana Berimbau and cuica, Cherry on ethnic flutes. Side two is solid with Walcott's chant-like "Mumakata" and "New Light". Side one has an Ornette Coleman/Stevie Wonder medley. These three communicate. by Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist:
1 Like That Of Sky 11:07
Composed By – Walcott
2 Codona 6:14
Composed By – Walcott, Cherry, Vasconcelos
Colemanwonder (3:40)
3a Race Face
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
3b Sortie
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
3c Sir Duke
Composed By – Stevie Wonder
4 Mumakata 8:14
Composed By – Walcott
5 New Light 13:22
Composed By – Walcott
Credits:
Berimbau, Cuica, Percussion, Voice – Nana Vasconcelos
Trumpet, Flute, Lute [Doussn'gouni], Voice – Don Cherry
Design, Photography [Cover] – Frieder Grindler
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Sitar, Tabla, Dulcimer [Hammered], Mbira [Sanza], Voice – Collin Walcott

CODONA - Codona 3 (1983) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The third Codona album is a sublimely beautiful release. The silent stillness of the exquisite opening to "Goshakabuchi" gives way to seemingly not much more than wisps of vibration in the air, but then Don Cherry's trumpet enters in full cry and Collin Walcott's dulcimer and other stringed things lead into a bracing and exciting section driven by Nana Vasconcelos' various percussive devices. The whole record is kind of like King Crimson's Larks' Tongues in Aspic without the wattage and with a little more introspection, and is a joyously stunning last testament for Walcott, who died not long after these recordings were completed. by Bruce Eder
Tracklist:
1 Goshakabuchi  10:53
Arranged By – Codona
Composed By [Japanese] – Traditional
2 Hey Da Ba Boom 7:11
Written-By – Walcott
3 Travel By Night 5:47
Written-By – Walcott
4 Lullaby 3:32
Written-By – Walcott
5 Trayra Boia 5:17
Composed By – Denise Milan, Vasconcelos
6 Clicky Clacky 4:07
Written-By – Cherry
7 Inner Organs 9:17
Written-By – Cherry
Credits:

Berimbau, Percussion, Voice – Nana Vasconcelos

Cover – Moki Cherry
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Sitar, Mbira [Sanza], Dulcimer [Hammered], Tabla, Voice – Collin Walcott
Trumpet, Organ, Guitar [Doussn'gouni], Voice – Don Cherry

TISZIJI MUÑOZ / MARILYN CRISPELL - Beautiful Empty Fullness (2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Fans of guitarist Tisziji Muñoz will be surprised by Beautiful Empty Fullness, a duet session with pianist/composer Marilyn Crispell. They've recorded together before, but this marks their first time as a duo. Both players are fiery improvisers who share John Coltrane as inspirational spiritual source and musical influence. While Ms. Crispell has recorded several programs of deeply intuitive, nearly songlike performances beginning with 1997's Nothing Ever Was, Anyway: The Music of Annette Peacock on ECM, Mr. Muñoz has, to date, never so straightforwardly showcased his work as a composer. Ms. Crispell is the perfect partner to assist in revealing this profound aspect of his musical character. These are songs, from short and sweet to lengthy and exploratory, that carry within them a lyricism we've seldom encountered from Muñoz before. The two opening tracks, "Fatherhood" and "I Thank You Love," are each under two minutes. The former carries within it the seeds of gospel, while the latter is almost a hymn. "Prayer for Awakening the Heart" is a modal number. Ms. Crispell's rumbling, lower mid-register chord voicings provide a base for the guitarist's sparse yet lyric melody. Given its nearly eight-minute length, there is room for both players to stretch a bit, but their interplay hovers around the composition's tonal center. Crispell's gorgeous intro to "Precious Friendship" offers an elliptical, blissful atmospheric lilt before Muñoz's signature tone -- simultaneously biting and tender -- digs into its center and carries it to the margins, underscoring, highlighting, and deepening the complex emotions at its core. There is real drama in the nearly 11-minute "Impermanence," which seems to open at the center of a crescendo, but it's merely the beginning of a long ascent, a winding journey toward something even more revelatory as it unfolds, almost cinematically moving backward and forward until the lyric line has been extended almost boundlessly. "Love's Continual Presence" has a nearly "Love Supreme"-esque motif, as Muñoz repetitively offers a mantra-like phrase and Crispell illustrates it compellingly, her ostinati shimmering through the guitarist's "chant"-like phrases. "When I'm Gone" emerges from a minor-key modal exploration; tone, dissonance, and dynamic force are offered in a labyrinthine improvisational language. Heartfelt emotion fuels every gorgeous track on Beautiful Empty Fullness, adding depth and dimension to the portraits of both players. by Thom Jurek  

PAUL BLEY - Introducing Paul Bley (1953-1992) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist Paul Bley's debut as a leader features the 21-year old in a trio with bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Art Blakey for Mingus' Debut label. The CD reissue, which adds four performances to the original program, finds Bley developing his voice within the bebop tradition. Mixing together stimulating originals such as "Opus 1" and "Spontaneous Combustion" with a few standards, Horace Silver's "Split Kick" and a surprisingly effective version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," Paul Bley may not have been distinctive this early on but he clearly had a potentially strong future. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1. Opus 1

2. Opus 1 (Alternate Take) *

3. (Teapot) Walin'

4. Like Someone In Love

5. Spontaneous Combustion

6. Split Kick

7. Can't Get Started

8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

9. The Theme *

10. This Time The Dream's On Me *

11. Zootcase
* Bonus tracks 

Credits:

Bass – Charles Mingus

Drums – Art Blakey

Piano – Paul Bley

MARILYN CRISPELL / GARY PEACOCK / PAUL MOTIAN - Amaryllis (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The gathering of this trio in February of 2000 guaranteed little except that they had demonstrated ably -- on Nothing Ever Was Anyway: The Music of Annette Peacock -- the ability to play together almost symbiotically. This follow-up attempts to extend the trio's reach across Peacock's music and into the terrain of the trio as an entity in and of itself. That said, not all the pieces here are new; in fact, some of them are decades old -- Marilyn Crispell's "Rounds" is from 1981, Gary Peacock's "Voices of the Past" and "December Greenwings" are both from the early '80s, and Paul Motian's "Conception Vessel/Circle Dance" is from the early '70s. The trio brings to these vintage pieces not only new eyes, but the freshness of this relationship and the willingness to reinvent them. In addition to the older works, producer Manfred Eicher asked the group to improvise a number of pieces just for the session. The results of this combination are quite remarkable. Perhaps the most noticeably gripping is the melodic invention in Crispell's playing. While it's true she has often displayed her lyrical side in free improvisation, she has never done so to this extent or with this much restraint. No matter where the improvisation goes, no matter whose tune she's playing, Crispell insists on harmony and an inventive yet attentive melodic framework as the session's basis. A shining example is on Peacock's "Voices From the Past," where his opening modal bassline is graced over by Crispell's pianistic melody, offering both line and harmony for Peacock to insert his lyric bassing. Motian uses his slip-dance on the cymbals to offer her just enough counterpoint to create a crystalline, droning melody that gleams in the darkness of the minor key signatures. On the brief title track, Crispell's tune, Peacock once again opens with the time signature and the underside of the melody. Motian joins him to usher in a minimal melodic architecture by Crispell. Short arpeggios are woven into diminished chords and the texture of the interplay. This is improvisation at its most restrained, its most closely listened to, executed with hushed yet dynamic brilliance and emotion. Crispell's "Rounds" echoes Mal Waldron and Dave Burrell in its angular architecture. Peacock takes the piece through from underneath, playing a modal counterpoint to Crispell's sharply arpeggiated harmony. The set ends with "Prayer," an anthem-like hymn. Motian taps out a restrained magisterial rhythm on his ride cymbal with satiny flourishes on the high hat, as Crispell calls Peacock forth from the middle registers and he drones his assent to a chorded melody that moves from augmented sevenths to flatted fifth to major chords. One can hear everyone from Thomas Dorsey to Bill Evans, but underneath it all, is the exacting hand (if the young Claudio Arrau played jazz, he may have sounded like this) and enormous, tender heart of Crispell, calling the piece -- and set -- to a close. More than a follow-up to their first work together, on Amaryllis, Crispell, Peacock, and Motian have established a new yet authoritative voice in melodic improvisation for the jazz trio. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Voice from the Past 5:54
Gary Peacock
2 Amaryllis 3:33
Marilyn Crispell
3 Requiem 4:40
Gary Peacock
4 Conception Vessel/Circle Dance 5:35
Paul Motian
5 Voices 4:28
Paul Motian
6 December Greenwings 4:07
Gary Peacock
7 Silence 3:17
Marilyn Crispell
8 M.E. 5:15
Paul Motian
9 Rounds 4:05
Marilyn Crispell
10 Avatar 4:14
Marilyn Crispell
11 Morpion 3:30
Paul Motian
12 Prayer 5:42
Mitchell Weiss
Credits:
Double Bass – Gary Peacock
Drums – Paul Motian
Piano – Marilyn Crispell
Producer – Manfred Eicher

MICHAEL MANTLER - Hide and Seek (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Michael Mantler, jazz and new music iconoclast, has been on a quest for the past 25 years to find new marriages of voices and words in his compositions. Here, with the help of distinguished vocalists such as Robert Wyatt and Susi Hyldgaard, he has succeeded in perhaps finally finding that direction without faltering. In the past he has employed not only Wyatt and Hyldgaard, but also Marianne Faithfull and the poems of Beckett, Brecht, Mallarme, and others, but always with mixed results. His earlier album, Many Have No Speech, was a solid shot, but its musical excesses outweighed its literary tomes. Here, Mantler has stepped back from the precipice and has found a text worthy of his adventurous muse: Hide and Seek, a play by the American writer Paul Auster, who is also a poet, critic, novelist, screenwriter, and the founder of the National Story Project. It is gratifying to hear Mantler's restrained compositions, played chamber style by an ensemble that is larger than on any of his voices projects. Hyldgaard, who also plays accordion, is featured prominently alongside Mantler's gorgeous trumpet lines. Her and Wyatt's voices interplay here, set in tight yet relaxed vignettes where tension and bewilderment are the wheels that carry on the dislocation of meaning between the singers. Musically, Mantler keeps his orchestra shaded, behind the curtain of expression, coloring in the tension, giving it as little room to breathe as possible without overstating their place. In the longer instrumental passages, Mantler directs them like a jazz band setting the winds in direct counterpoint to the strings and Per Salo's piano, ripping through the middle with flourishes of clustered chords and invertible counterpoint. The tango atmosphere created by the accordion is the bearer of drama in the sung score. Whenever you hear it, it signals another confrontation between the protagonists. It's an exhausting but wonderfully musical ride through the elements that make speech and language possible, at least in the economies of its exchange both musically and vocally. It's wonderful to hear Wyatt used so much here, his voice creating meaning from the repetition when he sings: "You can't just say words/Words mean nothing/Just words." Language ceases to be what it once was and disappears into the string section, leaving listeners with sound itself as the transmitter of meaning. Mantler, it seems, has finally found his "operatic" voice. by Thom Jurek   
Tracklist:
1 Unsaid (1) 2:36
2 What Did You Say? 2:19
3 Unsaid (2) 2:01
4 It's All Just Words 1:38
5 If You Have Nothing To Say 2:46
6 Unsaid (3) 1:32
7 What Do You See? 1:27
8 Absolutely Nothing 4:10
9 Unsaid (4) 1:49
10 What Can We Do? 4:20
11 Unsaid (5) 1:38
12 It All Has To End Sometime 3:39
13 Unsaid (6) 1:29
14 I Don't Deny It 1:38
15 I'm Glad You're Glad 2:14
16 Do You Think We'll Ever Find It? 2:15
17 It Makes No Difference To Me 2:09
Credits:
Cello [Cellos] – Helle Sørensen
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet [Clarinets] – Roger Jannotta
French Horn – Martin Cholewa
Guitar [Guitars] – Bjarne Roupé
Lyrics By – Paul Auster
Piano – Per Salo
Trombone [Trombones] – Vincent Nilsson
Trumpet [Trumpets], Programmed By [Electronic Percussion Programmed By], Music By, Producer – Michael Mantler
Vibraphone, Marimba – Tineke Noordhoek
Viola [Violas] – Mette Winther
Violin [Violins] – Marianne Sørensen
Voice – Robert Wyatt
Voice, Accordion – Susi Hyldgaard

DAVID MURRAY OCTET - Murray's Steps' (1983) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The octet is perfect for David Murray as an outlet for his writing, a showcase for his compositions, and an inspiring vehicle for his tenor and bass clarinet solos. For the third octet album (all are highly recommended), Murray meets up with quite a talented group of individuals: altoist Henry Threadgill, trumpeter Bobby Bradford, cornetist Butch Morris, trombonist Craig Harris, pianist Curtis Clark, bassist Wilber Morris, and drummer Steve McCall. Their interpretations of four of Murray's originals -- "Murray's Steps," "Sweet Lovely," "Sing Song," and "Flowers for Albert" -- are emotional, adventurous, and exquisite (sometimes all three at the same time). by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Murray's Steps 12:25
2 Sweet Lovely 8:00
3 Sing Song 9:40
4 Flowers For Albert 9:40
Credits:
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Henry Threadgill
Bass – Wilber Morris
Composed By – David Murray
Cornet – Lawrence "Butch" Morris
Percussion – Steve McCall
Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – David Murray
Trombone – Craig Harris
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford

DEREK BAILEY / JOËLLE LÉANDRE - No Waiting (1997) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Derek Bailey has recorded many LPs and CDs, yet his style never fails to invigorate. This one is no exception. These five totally improvised duos between Bailey and string bassist Joëlle Leandre, live in concert at Les Instants Chavirés in Montreuil, France, are some of the most interesting examples of the free music genre. Bailey's electric guitar reverberates ever so spasmodically next to Leandre's scratchy, then hyper-technical bass. Leandre can play with such virtuosity and intensity, but Bailey can counter with space and atmospherics before concentrating on little sounds. Call it a symphony of tiny, sometimes busy, sounds, and you get the idea. The entire album is a lesson in interaction: Leandre and Bailey duel, but only peripherally; they blend not as one, but as a two-headed dragon. In all, a cause for celebration. by Steve Loewy