[Rackety Sax]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/arts/music/john-coltrane-lost-album-both-directions-at-once.html

 

[FawltyTenor]

Awesome news, isn't it!!!

 

[Isle of Jazz]

Son of a gun!!!

 

[Rackety Sax]

Awesome news, isn't it!!!

Yes, but the more I think about it, this is so baffling. How does a company record a John Coltrane album in 1963 - and lose track of it? If it were total garbage and just got shelved, it might be understandable, but that doesn't appear to be the case here.

 

[musefound]

I thought Alice Coltrane was the one who was sitting on Coltrane masters, ie the One Up, One Down.
Who knew that Naima herself held such a treasure!

 

[Rackety Sax]

The tapes in Naima effects sound like copies created at the session for Coltrane's personal use. The implication - that Impulse, "The House That Trane Built," lost the original master tapes - is what I find baffling.

 

[scrollshank]

The article seems to imply that the album was recorded in one day. Was this typical for jazz combo albums at the time?

I only see two real possibilities: Coltrane didn't think that the album was finished and never got around to a second date in the studio or he just didn't like the work (or at least didn't think that it was up to his standards). I guess it's possible that Prestige lost the album and Coltrane forgot about it or didn't care enough about it to push for its release, but that doesn't seem terribly likely.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I am excited to hear the new album, but if the artist apparently didn't want the material released, it almost seems like an invasion of the artist's privacy to listen to it.

 

[Jcam44]

The article seems to imply that the album was recorded in one day. Was this typical for jazz combo albums at the time?

Fairly typical if I recall correctly. A date might span 1,2 or 3 days in the 60's at most. A lot of Blue Note dates were one day. Prestige too. Kenny Dorham comes to mind with "Quiet Kenny" and "Una Mas"

 

[musefound]

One day recordings totally normal in those days.
A love supreme was recorded on one day.

1963 would place this in the Impulse years.
Bob Theile and Impulse were trying to groom Coltrane's image by releasing the Ballads album and the album with Johnny Hartman.
According to Wikipedia, he had released Africa in '61, Coltrane in '62, Impressions in '63, as well as ballads, the Ellington album, and the Hartman album all in 63.
Then comes Live at Birdland and Crescent in '64. Then A love Supreme in '65.
He recorded a ton in that period, so I can see Impulse storing one session for later release, only to forget and then lose those tapes.

 

[balticband]

That would be cool to listen to!I miss Coltrane...

 

[cliveyx]

That`s pretty well the coolest news I`ve heard in ages. look forward to hearing it all.

 

[lesacks]

Another review, with utube of one track

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/08/lost-1963-john-coltrane-album-discovered

 

[Rackety Sax]

Another review, with utube of one track

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/08/lost-1963-john-coltrane-album-discovered

Interesting that Evan Parker cites the classic quartet as Trane's best work, given that his own work seems to be more reflective of Trane's later stuff.

...

He recorded a ton in that period, so I can see Impulse storing one session for later release, only to forget and then lose those tapes.

As good a guess as any I guess, and I suppose we have to be thankful that at least Naima's copy survived and is being released (in regular and deluxe 2-disc versions no less).

 

[10mfan]

Its a gift and a real treat to be able to hear something new, like this.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Yes, but the more I think about it, this is so baffling. How does a company record a John Coltrane album in 1963 - and lose track of it? If it were total garbage and just got shelved, it might be understandable, but that doesn't appear to be the case here.

I wonder why they shelved it?

 

[musefound]

As good a guess as any I guess, and I suppose we have to be thankful that at least Naima's copy survived and is being released (in regular and deluxe 2-disc versions no less).

I'm getting the deluxe edition...
Love me some Coltrane. :-D

 

[Jazzoetry]

Those guys were musicians everyday and there are probably many recordings out there. Jazz took a back seat for many years and things were stored but are now resurfacing from the archives with photos, audio and video. You see many Gems on youtube now. It's mainly because the world of music has become so autotuned and made easy for not so talented individuals to sell music that true talent and artistry have been missed but rediscovered due to youtube. People are now digging thru the archives and "Bebop Lives" as well as other forms of good music with real developed singers and musicians.

 

[Rackety Sax]

It's one thing for an unofficial live recording or video to bubble to the surface after many years. But this was a studio date for Impulse. Can you imagine being the guy in the early 70s going through the Impulse library, stumbling upon a bunch of Coltrane tapes, shrugging your shoulders and tossing them into the dumpster? Or maybe they used a forklift and just tossed stuff in bulk? Crazy!!

 

[musefound]

Again reading through the history of Impulse! on Wikipedia...
Seems like Impulse as a jazz label tarted to die out after Theile left in 1969 or perhaps the decay started after Coltrane passed away.
I can imagine boxes poorly labeled being tossed out like yesterday's newspaper or an obsolete computer.

 

[Bloo Dog]

Yes, but the more I think about it, this is so baffling. How does a company record a John Coltrane album in 1963 - and lose track of it? If it were total garbage and just got shelved, it might be understandable, but that doesn't appear to be the case here.

It's not so baffling when you consider that a whole lot of Coltrane's tapes from his Atlantic years went up in smoke when the storage shed they were stored in caught fire.