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- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE
WEEK
- John Coltrane
"Impressions" rec. 1961-63, rel. 1963 (USA)
- The theme of this week's show is "jazz music
that influenced psychedelic & progressive rock", and without a doubt one of
the most important jazz figures from that perspective is John Coltrane.
Reknowned for his "sheets of sound" style of rapid modal playing on the
saxophone, Trane's music was "trippy" before trippy was invented, and his
influence on psych rock arguably greater than any other jazz figure. Some
famous examples include the modal jam during the bridge section on The Doors
"Light My Fire" (referenced in a very ham-handed way in Oliver Stone's movie
about the band), and Roger McGuinn's noble attempt to translate
Trane riffs to the electric guitar on "Eight Miles High". Impressions from 1963 is one of Coltrane's
more notably "proto-psych" albums, highlighted by two
fine jams recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1961 when Eric Dolphy was in his
band. The next year, his classic A Love Supreme album set a new standard in
groovy modern jazz, though nothing could be more "far-out" than his cacophonous
Om album from 1965 (based on Hindu
chanting and rumoured to have been recorded under the influence of LSD!) Trane
died at the height of his popularity in 1967 -- had he lived, it's not hard to
imagine him a couple years later playing gigs at the Fillmore with the Dead or
the Allmans (just like his old boss Miles Davis wound up doing after he added
electronic instruments to his band.)
- Here's a video clip of Coltrane and Dolphy
playing the title track to this album, "Impressions", and here's Trane playing his signature
modal/proto-raga number, "My Favorite Things" (watch out, the volume is really high on
this one!) Plus, here's a clip of the truly unique Thelonious Sphere Monk
playing one of his signature tunes, "Round About
Midnight".
And how could I not include a clip of one of Miles Davis' amazing electric
bands? Here he is at the massive Isle of
Wight festival in 1970.
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