The John Coltrane Quartet – Africa/Brass – Vinyl LP

High Quality

John Coltrane’s incandescent 1961 classic, Africa/Brass was recorded by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder, produced by Bob Thiele, and is a showcase for bold, fearless and visionary music. It was recorded during a period where many African countries were becoming independent, and African music and art were becoming better known in America, though not as well known in European colonial powers like France, Belgium, or England.

“Africa/Brass”, released in September 1961, was John Coltrane’s first album for the then still young label Impulse! Records. The work marked a turning point in the saxophonist’s career and, according to the “AllMusic Guide to Jazz,” is considered a “key work for the understanding of the path that John Coltrane took with his music in his final phase of his work.” For the album, recorded in the studio by Rudy Van Gelder and produced by Creed Taylor, Coltrane expanded his quartet to a large ensemble with up to sixteen musicians. Coltrane’s passionate, free improvisations on the tenor and soprano saxophone stand in delightful contrast to the compact, very rhythmic sound of the sheet-blower-heavy orchestra under the direction of Cal Massey. The arrangements and orchestrations for the Big Band were made by Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner only during the rehearsals and recordings in the studio. VERVE ACOUSTIC SOUNDS SERIES: completely analog by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound mastered by the original tapes, QPR pressing (180 g), stable tip-on-gatefold (Stoughton Printing), padded inner sleeve.

1 Africa
2 Greensleeves
3 Blues Minor (Album Version)