Success in the Search for Sounds Unheard - UNBELIEVABLE
This music was previously available on unauthorized releases. It is such an incredible set that over the years it has been held up as an example of excellence in ensemble playing in jazz studies in music departments all over the country. As if that wasn't praise enough (actions speak louder than words), I'm going to add my paltry 2 cents worth on what an incredible find these recordings are and how much, as a semi-pro jazz musician, I enjoy them.

I'm listening to Song of Praise from this set as I type this. First of all, it's just amazing to me that it took about 40 years after Trane's passing to get this out to the public in non-bootleg form. I have an EXTENSIVE Coltrane library that runs from his early days with Miles' quintet in the mid 50's up until the Live In Japan 4 CD set. Some people don't like the later stuff. Some people find the early stuff too tame. This live session gives us Trane, Jones, Tyner, and Garrison at the summit of their work together, smack dab in the middle of the transition from modal playing to free playing. Not too much honking and screaming but there's plenty of multiphonics and harmonics in Trane's playing. It's just fantastic!

I don't get the criticism of Tyner in the review written by Mr Pharaoh's [sic] Wail. Can't hang? That's just ridiculous my uninformed friend. He's a perfect foil here. Even Trane himself disagrees with you in the things he said and wrote after McCoy left the band. If you have studied this man and his music with some bookwork you will know that Trane did not want Tyner to leave his band at all and was upset to loose his long-time friend and accompanist. Do YOU really think you know better than Trane? Of course you don't. All of these guys are playing with incredible intensity on this session. The quartet is in historic, awe-inspiring form here. If you think (Pharoah's [sic] Wail, obviously a Sander's fan) that Tyner is strolling because he can't keep up, you are so wrong. Trane would often ask Tyner to stroll so that he could play with being tied to harmonic constructs, i.e., for the freedom. Trane loved playing with Tyner and vice-versa until Tyner felt the music lost all elements of classic tonality anyway - that just wasn't his thing. But can't keep up? Please, go back to school dude. I like the Sander's stuff too but I would never knock such an incredible musician as McCoy Tyner, he more than knows what needs to be done and executes beautifully throughout this set.

Some have criticized the announcements heard throughout the disc. This does not bother me in the least. It's the same format as that other legendary release from the Portraits in Jazz series recorded at the Half Note. Of course I'm writing about Wes Montgomery's Smokin' at the Half Note. The announcements give the listener a real sense of "being there"

Some have criticized the fidelity of this release. This does not sound any worse than the other live performances out there and it is even better than some of the releases we've had from the 1961 tour of Europe with Eric Dolphy. Speaking of Dolphy - one of the seminal influences of King Crimson Mk I - if you don't own the Complete Village Vanguard you need to go to that link and buy THAT release before spending your money on this fiery jewel.

As a Coltrane LOVER (since 1975) and a serious jazz musician (semi-pro) for the past 30 years or so, I'm well qualified to tell you that this collection from the Half Note is positively stunning and it is well worth the $22.00 or so you are going to pay for it. Buy this at once if you want to expand your Live Coltrane collection. If you don't own any live Coltrane, this isn't the place to start. Come back later.

I DO agree with the reviewer who writes that if you are new to Trane you should start with Live at the Village Vanguard and Live at Birdland. I think you probably also want to add Coltrane at Newport and Afro Blue Impressions to that list of live releases to purchase before this. Then, after purchasing this, move on to Live in Seattle and Live in Japan. They are ALL worth owning and are ALL outstanding.

John & Jimmy take charge. McCoy can't hang.
On this album you take the good with the bad.

On both this and My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport, McCoy is an annoyance. Here he is able to warp space and time so that 5 to 7-minute solos feel like an hour. My Favorite Things on this disc is a bit of a throwaway, which isn't something one says very often. McCoy takes an incredibly long and tedious solo, then John comes back in only to be faded out as the radio announcer talks over him until the tracks ends. I find it no coincidence that on this and the Newport mentioned above, the best tracks (One Down here, Impressions there) are without McCoy for about 3/4s of each track.

Here in March and May of '65 Coltrane has moved ahead but McCoy and Elvin are doing what they'd always done, which often feels out of place within the context of John's visions for '65/'66. Five seconds after McCoy lays out altogether in One Down, the tune takes off with Coltrane and Jimmy as co-pilots. Then Jimmy lays out and Coltrane really manhandles this tune, scouring the outer fringes of what was possible on tenor in '65. This is some of the most forward, devious, beautiful stuff he ever played. Even though there must be 15 mins of this as a John & Elvin duo, it's oftentimes not a duo. It's John soloing... playing solely from inside himself while Elvin tries to keep up. John has passages of minutes upon minutes of brilliance here but it seems that had he stopped soloing 10 minutes earlier, Elvin would have been pleased it was over. There's not much give-and-take here. John's playing is visionary while Elvin often seems to be playing because John hadn't stopped yet.

Still, Elvin isn't as big a problem. In '65, McCoy put a damper on almost everything he touched, and this entire album is no exception. That makes this album an essential though mixed bag. John is on fire. His playing on One Down and Song of Praise is heroic. These are why he is thought of as some sort of mystical legend in human form, but god help me, every solo McCoy takes on both discs makes me wish he'd have been sick and not even shown up for the gigs. He was great in earlier years and even handles himself well on Meditations but for the most part he was in dire need of being replaced by Alice well before it happened.

Garrison deserves any praise or respect he receives. He could hang with (and propel) anything John did from '60 to '67. Get this for the individual contributions of John & Jimmy but don't expect a John Coltrane "band" at its pinnacle.

(3.5 stars) Good archival release
An archival concert release that surprised just about everybody when it came out: four very long pieces, recorded with the Quartet, just before Coltrane made the jump into free jazz. The best songs here are quite good: a powerful "Afro-Blue" and an intense, spiritual "Song of Praise" (with a great McCoy Tyner piano solo; Elvin hammers his drums and Trane honks away). It's a bit uneven, though: the extended take on "My Favorite Things" isn't too revealing, and the fact is there are far better versions of the song found elsewhere, and it eventually descends into pure noisemaking for the sake of noisemaking - plus, at 22 minutes, it's far too long: meanwhile, an extended "One Down, One Up" runs its course fairly quickly: for a sharp contrast, see the version found on Dear Old Stockholm. This isn't too bad, and in fact is often quite good, but Live at the Village Vanguard, Newport '63, and Dear Old Stockholm are much better live albums.

Perhaps Trane's greatest Classic Quartet Performance.
I've been listening to Trane for over 15 years. I have All of his major recordings and even some bootlegs that I found in Europe. Aside from being one of the most exhilarating improvisers in all of music history, he was also one of the most intense explorers in all of jazz. He pushed music the music to regions untouched by any musician before or since! This double CD exemplifies this to the utmost. The Song "One up, One Down" was easily the greatest performance of the album. Not because the other songs aren't fantastic in their own right! But the 27 minute solo that Trane embarks on in this tune is unparalleled by anyone in my opinion. He states the melody. The band chimes right in. And he begins to take you on one of the most electrifying journeys ever! About 7 minutes into it, Jimmy Garrison and Tyner have dropped out, leaving Coltrane and legendary drummer Elvin Jones to continue exploring the cosmos together. Jones is driving the tempo madly. But with a controlled intensity. He and Coltrane are like two symbiotic organisms, interacting, reacting, responding, and pushing each other throughout the song. At one point in the song, Elvin Jones actually brakes his foot-pedal during his thunderous performance. And for a while he is left with just his hi-hat, snare, floor-tom, and ride cymbals. Trane is playing so many phrases, patterns, sounds, and intricately complex runs that the casual listener, would be completely lost!!! But for those who aren't virgins to Trane's explorations, you will find absolute delight in the things that he manages to do with that Saxophone! The only problem I have with this 2x CD is that "Afro-Blue" and "My Favorite things" are cut way too short. You hear McCoy Tyner take off on a complex pianistic flight to boundless lines and harmonies that can put you into a zombie-like trance as he is known to do. Then you hear Mr. Coltrane himself begin his "sermon". As he begins to climax, the announcer inexplicably begins to talk over the music, broadcasting the advent of future shows!!!! He should have been shot and hung out to dry!!! But I highly recommend this album for Coltrane fans, and those who feel they are ready "Late-Period" Coltrane...

Classic quartet on fire
If you are new to Trane this might not be the place to start but then again, understanding the enormity of his musicianship is part of the essence of knowing Coltrane's music. Personally, I have beeen listening to Coltrane since he was alive and thriving and pushing the limits of jazz. What you will find on this gem is exactly that, pushing the music, jazz music specifically, beyond the usual perceptions. His legendary solos are captured here and one highlight of this disc is the extended version of the lovely and unique interpretation of "My Favorite Things." Coming in at over 22 minutes this beautiful song allows Trane to express the things he couldn't on his album of the same name. The driving drum beats pounded by Elvin Jones, the extended solos and lingering piano work of McCoy Tyner and thumping, solid bass of Jimmy Garrison are perfect companions to the relentless notes coming out of Trane's horn. His improvisation is a lesson in the technique of going out there and bringing it all back home. Melodic yet challenging, Trane's vision is never more eloquent than on this song. Your jaw will drop. The grunts and groans of the musicians, the silence of the crowd probaly from being in awe in the presence of greatness and the erruption of fans apreciation will put you in the Half Note some forty-three years ago. This is the classic quartet at it's height. The extreme "One up ,One Down" opens with Garrison reaching out for your ear as the quartet slowly fills in and goes beyond the limits of comprehension as to how long a song can be stretched. Coming in at nearly 28 minutes any musician can benefit from listening and a casual or rabid jazz can only marvel at the stamina, endurance and intensity of Trane's classic quartet and omnipotent horn. The spiritual quality of Trane's music is expressed in "Song of Praise", which is about as intense as it can get. I can only imagine the concentration, admire the effort from afar, many years since that night in New York but I can feel his energy anew with the release recently of this priceless masterpiece from the vaults. The individual songs each have their own attraction but the complete performance is the way the disc should be appreciated; it is a study in the complex world of jazz outside the paradigm. The announcers voice and breaking up of the music offers a glimpse into the real world of performance where the breaks are barely long enough to wipe the sweat from one's brow; Trane and his quartet must have been sweating profusly and barely had enough time to quench their thirst before entertaining again. If you are a jazz fan you will love this disc. If you are a Trane fan you will experience nirvana listening to him blow again. This is recommended for any serious music fans collection; Trane lives on as his legacy continues to grow.It doesn't get much better than this.