Coltrane fans what is your favorite live recording?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by steveharris, May 29, 2009.

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  1. steveharris

    steveharris Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mass
    I`ve been listening to some live John Coltrane cds I found in the library.Since nobody I know is into jazz,I thought it would be interesting to find out what people pick for a favorite live Coltrane.I`m familiar with Birdland,Complete Village vangard,VV again,japan,Obenjubri(or whatever that last concert is called)Miles at newport,Trane newport`63,half Note,A few other earlier ones,Next up is The live Coltrane/Monk disc.For my own favorite I would still go with certain parts of that badly recorded warts & all Pablo Live Train European tour boxset.I`m far from an expert so any Coltrane comments/opinions are welcome.
     
  2. ATR

    ATR Senior Member

    Location:
    Baystate
    The first Coltrane album I heard was Live at the Village Vanguard Again. I think I was a junior in high school, and it took me years to get rid of my fear of Coltrane after listening to it.

    I think most people will give the nod to Live at the Village Vanguard, which has existed in expanded form for years and is generally considered one of the best live recordings ever.

    The single most galvanizing live Coltrane track for me is I Want to Talk (?Know) About You, recorded in 1963 at the Newport Jazz Festival. The extended solo that ends this performance is simply astounding. This was the track where I grokked Coltrane. This track, and a version of My Favorite Things recorded at the same performance, appear on the !Impulse album Selflessness.

    Although not for everyone, I now love the four CD set of Live in Japan. Not the best recording quality, but outstanding late Coltrane.
     
  3. GregK

    GregK I'm speechless

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    the Village Vanguard box, followed closely by Live at Birdland
     
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  4. gohill

    gohill Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow, UK
    The Complete Village vangaurd box is my personal favourite of those.

    I do like the sprawling Live In Japan set too though; and the opening track on Live In Seattle 2cd impulse set , Cosmos, is an absolute tour de force.
     
  5. KipB

    KipB Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bethel, CT, USA
    I think the stuff you are mentioning is all worthy of pretty close examination. I feel with Coltrane it's such a personal decision what you end up liking the best -- it changes, too. Sometimes something is too much and grates on me, other times I'll love it ... I do like the VV stuff ... BTW, the Steve Hoffman engineered John Coltrane The Original Master Tapes CD can be had for a song on Amazon and sounds great and has live tracks. I do like Monk and Trane from a few years ago. They never fully get to let loose -- but wonderful just the same.
     
  6. kozy814

    kozy814 Forum Resident

    +1
     
  7. jpm-boston

    jpm-boston Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    With Miles Davis, Live in Stockholm 1960.

    His solo on "All Blues" is awesome.
     
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  8. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    Live at Birdland
     
  9. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    AFRo-BLUE IMPRESSIONS, also contained in the huge LIVE TRANE box.
     
  10. il pleut

    il pleut New Member

    the vv stuff, especially the box since that has a lot more dolphy than what was originally issued, and a lot of sit-ins like garvin bushell and abdul malik with his oud or whatever it is.

    also the one down one up thing.

    also the monk carnegie hall voa release, though that's more of a monk cd.
     
  11. bluesbro

    bluesbro Forum Hall of Shame

    Location:
    DC
    The Village Vanguard box is among my top 5 live jazz recordings of all time for sure.
     
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  12. rcdupre

    rcdupre Flying is Trying is Dying

    Live at the Village Vanguard Again, with Alice, Rashid, and Pharoah ! :righton: oh yeah, and also Live in Seattle and Live in Japan...
     
  13. sasha

    sasha New Member

    Location:
    .
    live in japan :)
     
  14. Maggie

    Maggie like a walking, talking art show

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Part of Live at Birdland isn't actually live (the studio tracks "Alabama" and "Your Lady") but what is live is pretty exceptional.

    I don't have a lot of live Coltrane, but I have to agree with those who recommend the Village Vanguard sessions in whatever form. The original album (with "Spiritual", "Softly" and "Chasin' the Trane") is dynamite, and the box set is the best and cheapest way of collecting all the other material, though the sound isn't ideal.

    Olatunji. It's rousing listening, but the sound is really faint.
     
  15. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    Though I have owned the Village Vanguard box since it was released, I would hesitate to recommend the set to a beginner. I don't find myself listening to the many alternate takes more than every couple of years, I would say to get the reissue of the original live at the VV, unless you really love that stuff.
     
  16. Maggie

    Maggie like a walking, talking art show

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I agree to a point, but, in fairness, the OP is not a beginner per se, and was only asking about favorites. As I said, I'm very attached to the original album in its original three-track, 40-minute configuration.
     
  17. jupiter8

    jupiter8 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ, USA
    +1
     
  18. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    Looking at the OP's profile, I got the impression of a person who mostly likes classic rock who is just branching into jazz, so I inferred that he is a bit of a jazz newbie.

    Coltrane is such an icon that a lot of his material is issued as box sets, deluxe editions, etc..that many are tempted to go whole hog and buy the box sets, when they might be better served buying the straight reissue and using the rest of their money on other artists.
     
  19. IanL

    IanL Senior Member

    Location:
    Oneonta, NY USA
    Live in Seattle
     
  20. zappa

    zappa New Member

    Location:
    St Pete, Florida
    one down one up live at the village gate, classic vinyl

    peace
     
  21. ifyouever

    ifyouever Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    Live at Birdland
     
  22. Newport '63
     
  23. brew ziggins

    brew ziggins Forum Prisoner

    Location:
    The Village
    Me too. Just because it was the first Coltrane and one of the first jazz records I ever 'got'. Not saying it's the best or the most essential, just that it's my fave.
     
  24. JayB

    JayB Senior Member

    Location:
    CT
    ME too...
     
  25. theodore666

    theodore666 Forum Resident

    Live at the Village Vanguard is my favorite live Coltrane and I would suggest the single disc "the Master Takes" as a good option for someone to get a taste of this material, as it contains the live pieces originally released on the albums "live" and "impressions".

    My second choice would be Live at the Village Vanguard Again. YMMV, but I always found Live in Seattle and particularly Live in Japan - tho they have their moments - to fall into the realm of being rather excessive and self-indulgent (do you really enjoy listening to an almost hour long version of My Favorite Things?).
     
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