JOHN COLTRANE - Last Performance At Newport 2 July 1966
Domino Records 891234
John Coltrane soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Pharaoh Sanders tenor saxophone piccolo and percussion; Alice Coltrane piano; Jimmy Garrison bass;
Rashied Ali drums.
The story behind the last performance, according to one witness, is interesting. Apparently Coltrane’s group was on late in the afternoon after previous groups had gone over time. The end of the first piece, ‘My Favorite Things’, occurred at the time the afternoon session was due to finish. George Wein who master-minded the whole festival walked to the stage to thank both the group and the audience. Before he could do so Coltrane started to play ‘Welcome’. Wein stood at the side looking very nervous because the organisers had to clear and clean the site. After ‘Welcome’, Wein made another attempt and failed as the band went into their third number. You can hear Wein’s final curt announcement at the end of this CD.
The music starts and you are pitched straight in to ‘My Favorite Things’ with Coltrane at his most extreme. Even now, nearly fifty years later, this high energy intensity can be unnerving. There had been a steady evolution of Coltrane’s music from the melodic to musical screams. Here, near the end of his life, he goes for broke. It can be possible, in some moods, to find this pursuit of freedom exhilarating. One critic has described it as the ‘sound of longing unbound’.
‘Welcome’ is very beautiful, the kind of music that compels surrender and contemplation. Coltrane was still finding tones, corners of beauty, in the tenor saxophone that he had never explored before. It is listening to tracks like this that reveal why his music was considered to be spiritual.
By this time Alice Coltrane had replaced McCoy Tyner. She does not attempt to match her husband’s intensity and most of the time she provides a sympathetic string of notes. At other times she provides a sanctuary away from the turbulence.
Pharoah Sanders suffers badly from poor recording. At times he is barely audible. Jimmy Garrison on bass also suffers. His intro to the first track was cut. Apparently he played a long solo using his bass like a flamenco guitar. It is a pity that it was not included.
‘Leo’ is a strange composition played at a most concerts at that time. It seems to drive the improvisers into what sounds like quotes from ‘Salt Peanuts’. Coltrane and Sanders duel it out for most of the twenty three minutes track.
The liner notes are good and there is a long interview with Coltrane done by Frank Kofsky.
Should you buy the CD? If you are interested in late –period Coltrane, go for it. You will forget the poor editing and the occasional mediocre sound. For anyone else, this is probably not the place to start on your Coltrane journey.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Domino Records 891234
John Coltrane soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Pharaoh Sanders tenor saxophone piccolo and percussion; Alice Coltrane piano; Jimmy Garrison bass;
Rashied Ali drums.
The story behind the last performance, according to one witness, is interesting. Apparently Coltrane’s group was on late in the afternoon after previous groups had gone over time. The end of the first piece, ‘My Favorite Things’, occurred at the time the afternoon session was due to finish. George Wein who master-minded the whole festival walked to the stage to thank both the group and the audience. Before he could do so Coltrane started to play ‘Welcome’. Wein stood at the side looking very nervous because the organisers had to clear and clean the site. After ‘Welcome’, Wein made another attempt and failed as the band went into their third number. You can hear Wein’s final curt announcement at the end of this CD.
The music starts and you are pitched straight in to ‘My Favorite Things’ with Coltrane at his most extreme. Even now, nearly fifty years later, this high energy intensity can be unnerving. There had been a steady evolution of Coltrane’s music from the melodic to musical screams. Here, near the end of his life, he goes for broke. It can be possible, in some moods, to find this pursuit of freedom exhilarating. One critic has described it as the ‘sound of longing unbound’.
‘Welcome’ is very beautiful, the kind of music that compels surrender and contemplation. Coltrane was still finding tones, corners of beauty, in the tenor saxophone that he had never explored before. It is listening to tracks like this that reveal why his music was considered to be spiritual.
By this time Alice Coltrane had replaced McCoy Tyner. She does not attempt to match her husband’s intensity and most of the time she provides a sympathetic string of notes. At other times she provides a sanctuary away from the turbulence.
Pharoah Sanders suffers badly from poor recording. At times he is barely audible. Jimmy Garrison on bass also suffers. His intro to the first track was cut. Apparently he played a long solo using his bass like a flamenco guitar. It is a pity that it was not included.
‘Leo’ is a strange composition played at a most concerts at that time. It seems to drive the improvisers into what sounds like quotes from ‘Salt Peanuts’. Coltrane and Sanders duel it out for most of the twenty three minutes track.
The liner notes are good and there is a long interview with Coltrane done by Frank Kofsky.
Should you buy the CD? If you are interested in late –period Coltrane, go for it. You will forget the poor editing and the occasional mediocre sound. For anyone else, this is probably not the place to start on your Coltrane journey.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
