John Coltrane Avant-Garde CD

Personnel: John Coltrane (soprano & tenor saxophones); Don Cherry (trumpet); Charlie Haden, Percy Heath (acoustic bass); Ed Blackwell (drums).
Recorded at Atlantic Studios, New York, New York on June 28 & July 8, 1960. Originally released on Atlantic (1451). Includes liner notes by A.B. Spellman.
Digitally remastered by George Piros (Atlantic Studios, New York, New York).
Personnel: John Coltrane (soprano & tenor saxophones); Don Cherry (trumpet); Charlie Haden, Percy Heath (acoustic bass); Ed Blackwell (drums).
Recorded at Atlantic Studios, New York, New York on June 28 & July 8, 1960. Originally released on Atlantic (1451). Includes liner notes by A.B. Spellman and Neil Tesser.
Digitally remastered by Dan Hersch (DigiPrep).
This album is rightfully co-credited to Don Cherry (trumpet), who ably trades blows with John Coltrane (tenor/soprano sax) throughout. The Avant-Garde also boasts the debut studio recording of Coltrane playing soprano sax -- on "The Blessing" -- in addition to his continuing advancements on tenor. Although these tracks were recorded during the summer of 1960, they remained shelved for nearly six years. Joining Coltrane and Cherry are essentially the rest of the members of the Ornette Coleman Quartet, Ed Blackwell (drums) and Charlie Haden (bass) on "Cherryco" and "The Blessing," as well as Percy Heath (bass) on the remaining three selections. This is fitting, as over half of the album consists of early Coleman compositions. Coltrane's integration into this band works with some extraordinarily fresh results. Neither Cherry nor Coltrane makes any radical departures on this album; however, it's the ability of each to complement the other both in terms of modal style and -- perhaps more importantly -- texture that lends heavily to the success of these sides. Cherry's brisk and somewhat nasal intonations on "The Blessing" mimic those of Miles Davis, albeit with shorter flourishes and heavily improvised lines. When combined with Coltrane's well-placed -- if not somewhat reserved -- solos, the mutual value of both is dramatically increased. Blackwell -- the only other musician besides Cherry and Coltrane to be featured on every track -- provides some non-conventional percussive accompaniment. His contributions to "The Blessing" and workout on the aptly titled "Focus on Sanity" are primal. ~ Lindsay Planer
John Coltrane's search for a fresh musical feeling--in which the front line and the rhythm section are more nearly equal--began through an exhaustive study of chords. But alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman and his acolyte Don Cherry had discovered another path by concentrating on rhythmic melodies and a polytonal brand of modality. Coltrane played with Coleman from time to time (though they never recorded), and even studied with Ornette.
THE AVANT GARDE is the fruit of their admiration for each other, but co-leader Don Cherry nearly steals the show. Originally inspired by Fats Navarro and Miles Davis, Cherry responded to Coleman's inspiration with fluttery melodic lines and tart harmonic dissonances. On THE AVANT GARDE, his minimalist melodies and witty rhythmic displacements are a perfect contrast to Coltrane's voluminous testimonies--serving to illustrate his innovations in brass phrasing. In addition, the absence of a pianist forces the bass players to carry the whole band, and its a great joy to contrast Charlie Haden's rounded tone and bouncing melodic chromaticism on "Cherryco" with Percy Heath's rhythmic drive and chordal mastery on "The Invisible." Heath had recorded with Coleman, and his brilliant blues improvisations electrify "Focus On Sanity."
Then there's the great drummer Ed Blackwell, who turns everyone out with his uncanny independence, melodic touch and joyous swing. Listen to him fill in around Coltrane's long linear testimonies and Cherry's rhythmic dipsy doodles on the joyous "Cherryco," and how ancient echoes of work songs, parades and African polyrhythms resonate t