Late Coltrane

[Excalibre]

I'm not exactly new to Jazz, but I probably don't have the knowledge (and cd collection) of most of the members here.

Anyway, I love all of John Coltrane's earlier stuff, but his avant-garde excursions after A Love Supreme leave me kinda puzzled. People say it's great stuff, and I wouldn't expect less from the guy, but I just can't understand it.

Which of these albums is most accessible, so that I might eventually be able to appreciate and enjoy the style of his later material?

[stopbobby]

I would suggest "interstellar space"---it's one of Coltrane's greatest albums. It's also "accessible" since it's only tenor and drums (it's less busy than his recordings with the full band).

[sal]

Originally posted by stopbobby
I would suggest "interstellar space"---it's one of Coltrane's greatest albums. It's also "accessible" since it's only tenor and drums (it's less busy than his recordings with the full band).

I second that. Also, try "Transiton", which was just before he completely launched into outer space.

[wjd]

First Meditations is quite beautiful and accessible. (Not Meditations, which is not that accessible, but First Meditations).

[Stoo]

Yeah but Meditations with Pharoah Sanders is still fantastic and has the effect the title suggests by the end of side 2 (nooo eh? Someone who still plays records?!!). I don't play it much though:p

I thought Ascention was pretty accessable.

[freeform73]

I love very much the last Trane.
I second too the suggestion of "Interstellar Space", a duet album with drummer Rashied Ali.
For "Ascension", I recommend you to listen to it whit liner notes under your eyes. In that album there are moment of intense free improvisation, but regularly from that emerge a soloist (and in the notes you can find, in order, every soloist) supported only by piano and drums. In this way, I think you can appreciate the style of these great musicians (Freddie Hubbard, Archie Shepp, Sanders amongst the others) as singles, and take confidence with the free improvisation. Think also of that: the structure of Ascension is non too complicated, is the 'wall of sound' and the many musicians involved at the same time in group improvisation that make the first approach a little 'traumatic'.

[doobster]

:eek2: Ascention=:smokin: