The Classic Quartet – Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings

The Classic Quartet – Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings is a 1998 box set by jazz musician John Coltrane with recordings from his classic quartet, including pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones.

The Classic Quartet – Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings
Box set by
Released1998
Recorded1962–1965
GenreJazz
Length521:31
LabelImpulse!
ProducerBob Thiele

Albums covered

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Coltrane’s classic quartet recorded 11 albums for Impulse!:

Albums missed

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Some of the Impulse! albums not included (as they did not cover material by the Classic Quartet but by different lineups)

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz    [3]

In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "What transpired over the course of the eight albums and supplementary material used elsewhere is nothing short of a complete transfiguration of one band into another one, from a band that followed the leader into places unknown to one that inspired him and pushed him further. All of this transpired in the span of only three years... There can be no arguing the value of the originally released recordings; whether they were issued during Coltrane's lifetime or after his death, they tell a story that millions of listeners formed their impressions by, true or false, and created a legacy that lives on. But there is also something to be said for setting the record straight, and the chronological approach that this set takes in no way desecrates the integrity of the original albums themselves... Simply put, it is indispensable to those who need a deeper understanding of Coltrane's music and the development of his most influential period. The sound quality is fully remastered to 20-bit technology, and the package is unwieldy but beautiful and sturdy. It's a must."[1]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz stated: "this is a magnificently packaged and organized document, and it stands as a memorial to one of the truly great groups in the history of jazz."[3]

Writing for All About Jazz, Robert Spencer commented: "the chronological arrangement of this disc allows the listener to hear Coltrane progress ever farther in his quest for new musical expressions and deeper honesty in his communication... By the time one reaches the recordings that made up First Meditations and spelled the turbulent end of the classic quartet, many worlds have been spanned... And much beautiful and inspiring music has been made... these eight discs are remarkable for the breadth of Coltrane's musical vision... There were so many sides to John Coltrane's music that these kind of brilliant contradictions can be found all through this set, and we are all the richer for it. The Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings is a lovingly collected monument to some of the greatest music anyone has ever made."[4]

Ben Ratliff, in an article for The New York Times, wrote: "What more can be said about the records every 50-and-under jazz fan knows?... After one spin, half of this music will be permanently remembered by the budding jazz fan; the other half will take the rest of a lifetime to be understood."[5]

Track listing

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Disc 1
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Greensleeves"Greensleeves 7" single3:41
2."It's Easy to Remember"Ballads2:45
3."The Inch Worm"Coltrane6:15
4."Big Nick"Coltrane4:05
5."Out of This World"Coltrane14:02
6."Soul Eyes"Coltrane5:23
7."Miles' Mode"Coltrane7:31
8."Tunji"Coltrane6:32
9."Nancy (with the Laughing Face)"Ballads3:10
10."What's New?"Ballads3:44
11."Up ‘Gainst the Wall"Impressions3:13
12."Too Young to Go Steady"Ballads4:20
13."All or Nothing at All"Ballads3:35
14."I Wish I Knew"Ballads4:51
Disc 2
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."You Don't Know What Love Is"Ballads5:12
2."Say It (Over and Over Again)"Ballads4:15
3."Vilia"Live at Birdland4:36
4."After the Rain"Impressions4:09
5."Dear Old Stockholm"Dear Old Stockholm10:40
6."Your Lady"Live at Birdland6:39
7."Alabama (Take 4&5)"Live at Birdland5:08
8."Lonnie's Lament"Crescent11:45
9."The Drum Thing"Crescent7:22
10."Wise One"Crescent9:01
Disc 3
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Crescent"Crescent8:42
2."Bessie's Blues"Crescent3:32
3."A Love Supreme, Part I: Acknowledgement"A Love Supreme7:47
4."A Love Supreme, Part II: Resolution"A Love Supreme7:22
5."A Love Supreme, Part III: Pursuance"A Love Supreme10:45
6."A Love Supreme, Part IV: Psalm"A Love Supreme7:05
7."Nature Boy (First Version)"The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. 1: Feelin' Good7:03
8."Nature Boy"The John Coltrane Quartet Plays8:01
9."Feelin' Good"The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. 1: Feelin' Good6:22
10."Chim Chim Cheree"The John Coltrane Quartet Plays6:56
Disc 4
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Brasilia"The John Coltrane Quartet Plays12:54
2."Song of Praise"The John Coltrane Quartet Plays9:51
3."After the Crescent"Dear Old Stockholm13:40
4."Dear Lord"Transition5:34
5."One Down, One Up"Dear Old Stockholm15:28
6."Welcome"Kulu Sé Mama5:25
7."The Last Blues"Living Space4:22
Disc 5
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Untitled Original 90314"Living Space14:45
2."Transition"Transition15:27
3."Suite"Transition21:17
4."Living Space"Living Space10:21
5."Dusk Dawn"Living Space10:48
Disc 6
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Vigil"Kulu Sé Mama9:50
2."Untitled Original 90320"Living Space10:44
3."Dearly Beloved"Sun Ship6:27
4."Attaining"Sun Ship11:24
5."Sun Ship"Sun Ship6:12
6."Ascent"Sun Ship10:05
7."Amen"Sun Ship8:14
Disc 7
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Love"First Meditations8:04
2."Compassion"First Meditations9:34
3."Joy"First Meditations8:48
4."Consequences"First Meditations7:20
5."Serenity"First Meditations6:11
6."Joy (Second Version)"The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. 1: Feelin' Good12:21
Disc 8 (all tracks previously unreleased)
No.TitleLength
1."Crescent (First Version)"10:04
2."Bessie's Blues (First Version - Incomplete)"2:58
3."Song of Praise (First Version)"2:41
4."A Love Supreme, Part II: Resolution (Alternate Take)"7:21
5."Feeling Good (Alternate Take)"6:16
6."Dear Lord (Breakdowns and Alternate Take)"7:41
7."Living Space (Breakdown and Alternate Take)"14:02

Personnel

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Recorded between 1961 and 1965 in New York City.

The Classic Quartet:

Additional Performers:

  • Art Davisbass (only appears on disc 3: tracks 7,8,9)
  • Roy Haynesdrums (only appears on disc 2: tracks 4,5 and disc 4: tracks 3,4,5)

References

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  1. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "John Coltrane: The Classic Quartet: Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings". AllMusic. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  3. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. p. 276.
  4. ^ Spencer, Robert (December 1, 1998). "John Coltrane: The Classic Quartet: The Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Ratliff, Ben (December 13, 1998). "MUSIC: The Good, the Bad, the Rare: '98 Boxed Sets; John Coltrane: 'The Classic Quartet -- Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings'". New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2021.