The Jazz Fortune Coltrane Left Behind

Some musicians achieve such high levels of creative intensity that their untimely deaths seem to be a foregone conclusion. Along with artists like Jimi Hendrix, Charlie Parker and Robert Johnson, John Coltrane contributed so much to music and did so with such passion that it seemed his body was unable to sustain such fiery inspiration for long.

Among the best documents of Coltrane's extraordinary energy is "The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings," a four-CD box set recently released on his birthday (September 23), 30 years after his unfortunate death. This collection, which includes every recorded performance (three previously unreleased) from Coltrane's live engagement at the famous Village Vanguard jazz club in New York City, is of particularly high quality.

First, a warning: for those not already jazz fans, or even for those who are but are not familiar with Coltrane's music, this collection is not an ideal introduction. Box sets, with their limited focus and substantial price, are meant for dedicated fans. If anything, "Village Vanguard" is even more demanding of its listeners for several reasons: it documents only a fiveday period and represents only nine different compositions (there are multiple versions of most songs) in its four-and-a-half hour span. And because it is a live jazz recording, the musicians take artistic risks and extend song lengths beyond what might have been done in a studio.

But for those who are swept away by the naked emotion that barrels from Coltrane's soul straight to the those of the listeners, this collection is a goldmine.

"Village Vanguard" falls roughly at the midpoint of Coltrane's career, both chronologically and stylistically. He had just changed recording labels and had only recently settled on a brilliant rhythm section featuring pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones. Coltrane's style and musical conception never stopped changing throughout his career, and these recordings reflect a serious departure from the structures and techniques of mainstream jazz of the time. Complex, static song structures were inhibiting what Coltrane wanted to do musically and he began looking towards Eastern ethnic music for influence. Coltrane began to experiment with instrumentation to dramatic effect, using bass clarinet, contrabassoon, oboe, oud and a second bass in different combinations.

The tracks, most of which are Coltrane originals, are arranged by order of performance. The first cut, "India," immediately reveals the unique musical direction Coltrane was pursuing. The droning, buzzing sound of the oud, a Middle Eastern lute-type instrument, is the first sound to present itself, followed by Coltrane's and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy's repetition of a hypnotic two-note motif. In the solo section, the performance assumes the format of much of the music on this collection-dense, angular horn soloing over essentially no chord changes. Even the appreciative listener has difficulty comprehending the music upon first exposure, and judging from the scattered applause following the performance, the audience may have been baffled as well.

The next tune, "Chasin' the Trane," is a contrast in several ways: first, it is played in a trio format with just horn, bass and drums. The song's standard 12-bar blues form also contrasts with the exotic eastern style of "India." Without a written melody or a pianist to play chords, "Chasin'" has a uniquely spare sound, and the second version is perhaps the most prominent and audacious of the tracks on the collection. Whether this performance comes off as one of the finest examples of spontaneous musical invention ever or as 15 minutes of earsplitting squeaks, is heavily dependent on the listener.

Beginning with an elegiac, out-of-tempo introduction, the striking "Spiritual" becomes a mid-tempo, waltz-metered piece over a two-chord progression. Coltrane's bluesy soloing and Jones' ability to swing in spite of tempo contribute to the compelling mood of this composition.

Then there are the covers: versions of the British folk song "Greensleeves" and the Broadway-musical-derived "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" demonstrate Coltrane's skills as a jazz interpreter of any musical style. "Greensleeves," with its waltz meter and harmonic simplification, is very reminiscent of Coltrane's previous recording of "My Favorite Things." "Softly" is the most accessible recording of this collection-a light, bouncy, catchy performance that is perhaps Tyner's best opportunity to showcase his fleet, lyrical soloing.

Some may observe that these recordings represent a somewhat unrefined phase in Coltrane's career. In some instances the extended instrumentation seems a little distracting and unnecessary, and the interplay between Coltrane and Eric Dolphy is not always smooth. Not everyone may be able to bear with Coltrane on his very lengthy solos, and with the exception of Dolphy, the rest of the group is rarely given a chance to shine.

The most remarkable aspect of these recordings-the constant high emotional intensity-inherently has both positive and negative attributes. The listener who is gripped immediately by a performance will be enthralled for its duration and left with a sense of awe. However, more detached listeners may wish for some of the variety of texture and sense of progression within a song that is a common enhancing aspect of music.

A recording can never be an ideal way to listen to jazz, because an integral part of that musical idiom is witnessing the spontaneous creations of the artist unfold before you-live. But these recordings come as close to transcending that limitation as seems possible. The live setting reinforces the very palpable sense that Coltrane is holding back nothing in expressing himself through his horn. Even if one doesn't fully "understand" the music-and perhaps no one can-its emotional power will be immediately apparent.Photo courtesy of MCA RecordsA new set of Coltrane's recordings presents the artist live in every sense.

The next tune, "Chasin' the Trane," is a contrast in several ways: first, it is played in a trio format with just horn, bass and drums. The song's standard 12-bar blues form also contrasts with the exotic eastern style of "India." Without a written melody or a pianist to play chords, "Chasin'" has a uniquely spare sound, and the second version is perhaps the most prominent and audacious of the tracks on the collection. Whether this performance comes off as one of the finest examples of spontaneous musical invention ever or as 15 minutes of earsplitting squeaks, is heavily dependent on the listener.

Beginning with an elegiac, out-of-tempo introduction, the striking "Spiritual" becomes a mid-tempo, waltz-metered piece over a two-chord progression. Coltrane's bluesy soloing and Jones' ability to swing in spite of tempo contribute to the compelling mood of this composition.

Then there are the covers: versions of the British folk song "Greensleeves" and the Broadway-musical-derived "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" demonstrate Coltrane's skills as a jazz interpreter of any musical style. "Greensleeves," with its waltz meter and harmonic simplification, is very reminiscent of Coltrane's previous recording of "My Favorite Things." "Softly" is the most accessible recording of this collection-a light, bouncy, catchy performance that is perhaps Tyner's best opportunity to showcase his fleet, lyrical soloing.

Some may observe that these recordings represent a somewhat unrefined phase in Coltrane's career. In some instances the extended instrumentation seems a little distracting and unnecessary, and the interplay between Coltrane and Eric Dolphy is not always smooth. Not everyone may be able to bear with Coltrane on his very lengthy solos, and with the exception of Dolphy, the rest of the group is rarely given a chance to shine.

The most remarkable aspect of these recordings-the constant high emotional intensity-inherently has both positive and negative attributes. The listener who is gripped immediately by a performance will be enthralled for its duration and left with a sense of awe. However, more detached listeners may wish for some of the variety of texture and sense of progression within a song that is a common enhancing aspect of music.

A recording can never be an ideal way to listen to jazz, because an integral part of that musical idiom is witnessing the spontaneous creations of the artist unfold before you-live. But these recordings come as close to transcending that limitation as seems possible. The live setting reinforces the very palpable sense that Coltrane is holding back nothing in expressing himself through his horn. Even if one doesn't fully "understand" the music-and perhaps no one can-its emotional power will be immediately apparent.Photo courtesy of MCA RecordsA new set of Coltrane's recordings presents the artist live in every sense.