John Coltrane - One Down, One Up -- Live at the Half Note

[Chasin' a Trane]

Just saw that another Coltrane album was released. I was wondering if anyone has it and can tell me whther its worth it. I guess it has been overshadowed a bit by the Monk/Trane release but it sounds interesting: Only 4 tracks and a 28 min. version of the title track. To buy or not to buy?

[BFrank]

I just found out that Tower online has it for less than $15. I think they have the wrong list price ($18.99). Order from them before it's too late ...

[john williams]

I'd say buy it. I know the Monk/Trane recording is probably more significant historically, but I'm more interested in the the Trane of 1965.

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Introduction And Announcements
2. One Down, One Up
3. Announcements
4. Afro-Blue

Disc: 2

1. Introduction And Announcements
2. Song Of Praise
3. Announcements
4. My Favorite Things

[BFrank]

NY Times
October 11, 2005
From the Family Closet, a New Coltrane Album
By NATE CHINEN

At this summer's JVC Jazz Festival in Newport, R.I., Ravi Coltrane took on a potentially forbidding task: tenor and soprano saxophone duties with McCoy Tyner, the pianist and sole remaining member of the John Coltrane Quartet. Inevitably, the pairing stirred echoes of that epochal band, subjecting the younger Coltrane to an impossible standard. That he managed to acknowledge his father's saxophone influence without emulation was, in itself, a complex feat. "He's got a handle on the legacy," Mr. Tyner said later, "but he's not mimicking his father in any way."

But then, Mr. Coltrane, 40, has had time to refine his relationship to the family legacy. He became a saxophonist in his early 20's and gained his first major professional experience with Elvin Jones, his father's explosive drummer. In his solo career, which began on record only seven years ago, he has been careful to establish his own identity.

Yet he has also served, unassumingly, as a steward of his father's music, a background role that is both personal and increasingly public - as illustrated by the release today of the striking new John Coltrane album, "One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note" (Impulse!) , featuring a pair of performances by the Coltrane Quartet in the spring of 1965.

"This Half Note material really comes at a summit," Mr. Coltrane said by phone recently from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where he was on tour. "It's the high point of a sound that the band had been cultivating, basically, since 1961. The music that was recorded there comes at the strongest point of that band, playing that sound. Right after that, they start changing and going other places."

Fortunately for jazz fans, the Half Note album comes on the heels of more newly issued Coltrane: "Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall," a 1957 concert recording discovered in the Library of Congress in February and issued on Blue Note Records a few weeks ago to wide critical acclaim. As a rare document of the saxophonist's most storied apprenticeship, the recording has been heralded as a missing link in the chain of modern jazz.

Mr. Coltrane was more temperate in his assessment of the Carnegie tapes, which he described as "beautiful music." (He made this sound almost like a criticism.) He was halfway through a European tour with his own quartet, which was responsible for one of this year's most cohesive new jazz albums, "In Flux" (Savoy).

His path to the Coltrane legacy was circuitous. Mr. Coltrane was 2 when his father died, so he was brought up in Los Angeles by his mother, Alice Coltrane, a pianist and accomplished artist in her own right. Even though music, including his father's, was ubiquitous in the household, he turned seriously to jazz only after his older brother, John Jr., died in a car accident in 1982. Ravi Coltrane, then in high school, was hit hard by the loss; he wandered for several years.

It was during this time that he began listening in earnest to his father's records; he was tired, he said, of being embarrassed by his ignorance. He was surprised by his connection to the music. It led him to recordings by Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins - and to the saxophone.

Some of Mr. Coltrane's earliest playing was with his mother, who had quietly continued making music after withdrawing to form a Vedantic meditation center, in 1975. Last year he shepherded the release of her first studio effort in more than 25 years, the warmly meditative "Translinear Light" (Impulse!).

Mr. Coltrane first encountered the tapes that became the album "One Down, One Up" in 1991, in a closet in his mother's house. He has been angling for their release for 10 years, since the revival of the Impulse! label; the Verve Music Group, the label's corporate parent for seven of those years, has included some of Mr. Coltrane's smaller finds as bonus tracks on reissued CD's and will probably continue to do so.

The "One Down" performances, originally broadcast by the radio D.J. Alan Grant, mark the beginning of the final phase in his father's career, Mr. Coltrane said - emphatically celestial music marked by exploratory free improvisation, blistering atonality and, eventually, new musicians. By the start of 1966, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones had both essentially decamped, less embittered than alienated. ("There's no gain without a little pain," Mr. Tyner said last week with a fond chuckle.) The permanent installment of Alice Coltrane on piano and Rashied Ali on drums usually delimits the saxophonist's final transition. "But his last period actually starts right in the middle of 1965," Mr. Coltrane suggested. "It starts with this group: with McCoy and Elvin and Jimmy Garrison."

The music supports his assertion. Tension crackles throughout the album's four songs, three of which approach or exceed the 20-minute mark. Mr. Tyner delivers a solo on "Afro Blue" that matches any in his career for expressive drama. The whole quartet strains for weightless transcendence with "Song of Praise."

The pièce de résistance is a 27-minute-long tenor saxophone exertion on the album's title track that seems to enfold the entirety of Coltrane's musical experience in its sinewy embrace. An athletic and intellectual marvel, the solo has circulated for years as a hallowed bootleg among tenor saxophonists like David Liebman and Michael Brecker; its influence has been unseen but surely felt.

Mr. Coltrane was born a few months after the second of these broadcasts, and still cites the "One Down, One Up" solo as his favorite John Coltrane Quartet recording. But one gets the sense that it is no longer needed as a conduit to the man he has known only through music.

"There was a period in my life, about a year, where I listened to it every day," he recalled. "I'd always have a cassette, or a mini-disc or a DAT; I'd keep one with me, no matter what. I always thought, If the plane starts going down, I'm going to put this on, because it's really the last thing I want to hear."

[edpack]

I have it, listened to the first disc this morning. It's AWESOME. The sound is remarkably good, amazing presence on the bass. It does seem to fade in and out a tiny bit at times, a little distracting, but doesn't diminish the overall experience. Maybe that's because it was recorded for a radio broadcast. All players are in top form, I never appreciated Jimmy Garrison so much. Coltrane is definitely treading that fine line between where he was coming from and where he was going - does that make sense? His sound is beautiful. Highly recommended!! ****

P.S. I think I like this better than Live at the Village Vanguard.

[drewmcd24]

This is a fantastic release. Highly recommended. Besides a few split-second dropouts on the first disc the sound is crisp, and all the instruments are up-front and clear. The sound on the first disc is slightly better than the second disc. Everything's just a little bit sharper.

As far as the performance goes, it's one of the best live 'trane albums I've heard. The thing that strikes me is how tight this group sounds. They play like they're a single unit, not four different people. It's really amazing.

Coltrane, of course, is the star of this release, but another standout is McCoy Tyner. Damn, that guy can play! The first few minutes of Afro Blue will blow you away.

[Boris Badenov]

This is fine stuff indeed. A consumer disclosure that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere, though: these are truncated performances. In fact, according to Allen Grant, the announcer, the first song (One Down, One Up) had been going on for some 35 minutes before the broadcast started. And both of the second cuts fade while Coltrane is still wailing away. I gather that the show from which these recordings came ran for 45 minutes and the sets neither began nor ended when the broadcasts did. This is no reason not to get these recordings if you are a Coltrane-ophile, of course!

[Gary Sisco]

There's a reason why they've been family tapes for all of these years, so none of that is surprising. I'm just glad to have the opportunity to hear more Coltrane that isn't iconic, already.

[John L]

There are bootlegs with more Half Note material. David Wild has a discography of known Half Note recordings on his "Wild" website. But they say that the sound quality of the Coltrane family tapes is far superior to what has been floating around before. So I'm game.

[edpack]

Had to post again - I listened to both discs several times over the weekend. It's fantastic. 'Trane's playing on "My Favorite Things" is a revelation. He soars like a bird.

[Gary Sisco]

Heard it last night, and what great fun to hear some Coltrane (and quartet members) that I hadn't already heard many times. Thanks to Ravi and family for this one.

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by John L

There are bootlegs with more Half Note material. David Wild has a discography of known Half Note recordings on his "Wild" website.

Wild's Coltrane discography is here (see 1965).

[Gary Sisco]

Man, this shit right here kicks some serious ass. I'd never heard the bootlegs. Still the heavyweight champ after all these years.

Good liner notes, too -- praise I only very rarely hand out.

[Al in NYC]

I heartily agree with Gary here. Have just been spending part of a (too) lazy morning listening to this. Great, great stuff. The quartet is so fully dialed in here that it's hard to believe they broke up just a short while later.

And all from a tiny stand that was really nothing more than a cubby hole behind the bar. Love the photos revealing the rack of bar tabs that sits just to the right of the stage, or the bottles of liquor in the cabinet right under Coltrane's feet....

[kerrmit]

Absolutely mind-boggling, awesome music. Coltrane and Jones are just flying on the title tune. Just the quartet, no extras. Wow. Its not for everybody (what is?), but its for me. Alan Grants giggling comments at the end of One Down, One Up suggest that he was pretty blown away by this also, probably wondering how it was going over with his radio audience.

The photos in the CD jacket are awesome too. Very cramped narrow stage, described as a shelf, and jazz album covers on the wall. it took me awhile to figure out where McCoy Tyner was on stage, but I figured it out eventually. Also fun to identify the album covers on the walls.

[jazzfiend]

Without a doubt, my favorite release of the year. Far surpassed my expectations, especially the title track.

[saltwatersnow]

i really dont want to lay down the money for a double cd especially when a lot of it is cut off versions of songs heard to death, but i would kill for a cd of the title track and song of praise. would someone be willing to burn me those 2 tracks, i would be a friend for life. would trade anything i might have you might want. give me a pm if can help.

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by saltwatersnow

i really dont want to lay down the money for a double cd especially when a lot of it is cut off versions of songs heard to death, but i would kill for a cd of the title track and song of praise. would someone be willing to burn me those 2 tracks, i would be a friend for life. would trade anything i might have you might want. give me a pm if can help.

why don't you use SLSK? I grabbed this from there a few weeks back.

[chuckyd4]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

why don't you use SLSK? I grabbed this from there a few weeks back.

I thought that was like a golden rule not to mention "the big S" around here. FWIW, I totally agree with you, but I have a feeling this thread is about to take a funny turn.

I did the same as Jon, and I really enjoyed the one listen through that I gave it.

[saltwatersnow]

im stuck in 56k modem world, so downloading takes years. also sounds quality can be rough. also ive never gotten savy about that kind of thing. im just hoping a good samaratain will come my way. you wouldnt want to send me those 2 tracks would you jon?

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by saltwatersnow

you wouldnt want to send me those 2 tracks would you jon?

I already deleted it, to be honest.

[Mike Schwartz]

I just ordered it yesterday based on the word here.

I'll be traveling to see my daughter for Thanksgiving, and she really loves that quartet, as do I. We're both really fond of Elvin, and had seen him together numerous times, including a chance to meet and hang with him once, so I'll bring it and let her put it on her i-pod if she wants.

[John L]

Just picked mine up. Good sound really can make a difference! I have had this music on poor sounding boots for a while, but the impact of this high quality recording is at least twice as great. This is essential Trane.

[clarke68]

Originally Posted by Boris Badenov

...according to Allen Grant, the announcer, the first song (One Down, One Up) had been going on for some 35 minutes before the broadcast started.

Maybe that's where the name came from...as in: "35 minutes down, 27 minutes up". Does it appear on any other recordings?

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by clarke68

Maybe that's where the name came from...as in: "35 minutes down, 27 minutes up". Does it appear on any other recordings?

Yes--Dear Old Stockholm, for one.

On Dear Old Stockholm, "One Down, One Up" is a studio recording from May 26, 1965 with Roy Haynes on drums.

On New Thing at Newport, there's a live performance of "One Down, One Up" from July 2, 1965 with Elvin Jones back on drums.

There was also an unissued performance of it recorded at the Village Gate on March 28, 1965 (two nights after what's considered the probable date of the "One Down, One Up" performance at the Half Note on the new album).

In 1963, Coltrane performed a composition called "One Up and One Down" at Birdland, but it's a different composition.

See the title index in David Wild's Coltrane discography (which John L mentioned in #9) and follow the links if you're so inclined. Wild doesn't seem to have included the new album or all of its origins yet, other than reporting that it was on the way.

(Speaking of "on the way," my copy of the new album is.)

[Xavier]

I just played the two CDs for the first time and am wondering about the sound. The recording seems focused on Tyner with Coltrane often in the background, a bit distant. I've never heard the bootlegs so I have no frame of reference. Is this right or do I need to get my CD player looked at? I also recently picked up the Coltrane/Monk Carnegie Hall concert which has incredible, almost studio quality sound.

[Chris D]

Originally Posted by Xavier

I just played the two CDs for the first time and am wondering about the sound. The recording seems focused on Tyner with Coltrane often in the background, a bit distant. I've never heard the bootlegs so I have no frame of reference. Is this right or do I need to get my CD player looked at?

Your CD player is fine, Xavier. That's just the balance at times. Remember, this wasn't taped for release originally.

[Xavier]

Thanks for the reply - I am enjoying the performance a lot.

[Mike Schwartz]

I have mixed feelings about this release now that I have it and have played it.

I'm thrilled by it as a document, and kind of dissapointed in it as a CD.

It's like going to see the Declaration Of Independence and admiring it, but being dissapointed that the parchment is all discolored and old looking.

Can anyone relate to my impressions of it?

I'm glad I have it, but to me, this is in no way what generally might be considered essential, and certainly nowhere near a 'best or favorite of the year.'

[Darryl G. Thomas]

Mike,

I'm assuming you're talking about the fidelity of the recording plus the fact that due to radio constraints performances are abridged?