John Coltrane
John Coltrane concert:
‘Live in Germany (1960/1961)
and Belgium (1965)’
Today on the jazzpages YouTube channel the complete ‘Jazz Icons’ DVD of three Coltrane concerts. The three performances on this DVD show in dramatic relief the most important phases of his career. These newly discovered 1960 performances with Miles Davis’s rhythm section find him near the end of his ‘sheets of sound’ period. Coltrane was anxious to form his own group and this final tour with Davis was a favor to the trumpeter. His restlessness shows through in his playing here and elsewhere at the time. It is fascinating to hear him with one of his early idols Stan Getz and his playing seems to challenge Getz to a new level.
The 1965 Comblain-La-Tour (Belgium) performance, providing some great visuals, allows us to see the group at the peak of its powers and near the end of its run. By the end of the year, McCoy and Elvin were gone and one of the most innovative and exciting ensembles in jazz was no more.
Concert 1: Germany, March 28th, 1960
John Coltrane - Tenor Saxophone
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass
Jimmy Cobb - DrumsAlso featuring Oscar Peterson on piano on ‘Moonlight In Vermont’ and ‘Hackensack’, as well as Stan Getz on tenor saxophone.
Concert 2: Germany, December 4th, 1961
John Coltrane - Tenor Saxophone / Soprano Saxophone
Eric Dolphy - Alt Saxophone / Flute
McCoy Tyner - Piano
Reggie Workman - Bass
Elvin Jones - DrumsConcert 3: Belgium, August 1st, 1965
John Coltrane - Tenor Saxophone / Soprano Saxophone
McCoy Tyner - Piano
Jimmy Garrison - Bass
Elvin Jones - Drums