Search - John Coltrane :: Live at Halfnote

Only for the Traned.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 06/20/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Because of the absence of information about dates and personnel as well the uneven quality of the recorded sound, not to mention Coltrane's performance itself, this album cannot be recommended for the uninitiated. Spend a couple of extra bucks and purchase "Live at Birdland" or "A Love Supreme."But if you're a student of Coltrane, this particular recording of "I Want to Talk about You"--not at all like the version on "Live at Birdland"--offers a fascinating glimpse at Coltrane's creative process. It begins with cracked notes and unsustained tones, as Coltrane quickly yields to an extended solo by the pianist (McCoy? clearly so on the other 3 tracks but not necessarily on this). Then Coltrane reenters the fray, rejuvenated and ready for action. When he restates the melody and gets to the final dominant chord, scene of his virtuosic cadenza on the "Live at Birdland" recording, he submits himself to a greater challenge than on that date. Instead of exploring all of the chord substitutions, extensions, harmonics on the dominant chord alone, he touches base with the entire song--refrain, bridge, closing refrain--in the midst of another unaccompanied cadenza extraordinaire. It's not the unfaltering pyrotechnical display of the "Birdland" date, but in it's own way it's no less impressive and belongs in the collection of any true believer."

Very good music, but the production values are minimal

G B | 09/14/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fascinating listen for serious John Coltrane lovers, and you can't beat the price. However, the second song (Brazilia) is, in fact, an edited version of the third track. And the first notes of "I Want to Talk About You" are cracked, warbly, and harsh, making me nearly regret my purchase at first. But John and the band do a wonderful version of the song, and the sound quality isn't awful- better than, say, the Monk/Coltrane Live album, but not a sonic masterpiece like Live at Birdland. Not an essential album, but a nice discovery for the Trane fan."

For the serious Coltrane student. Another taste.

Douglas Groothuis | 02/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I give it more like 3.5 stars.This unofficial recording (euphemism) has poor sound quality, particularly the last cut, which ends abruptly just as Jimmy Garrison begins a bass solo. It also begins jarringly with Trane muffing the intro to "I Want to Talk About It." He squeaks and cannot hit the high note, amazingly enough. Yes, he was human, but he did not give up. He roars back after McCoy's solo and the cadenza is extraordinary. Who can play like this today?As noted in other reviews, one is distressed to find twenty minutes of duplicated material between the second and third cuts. Yet that piece is a sonic masterpiece of transcendent saxophone soloing over a haunting and expansive theme. It takes me to other places (within and beyond), and I forget about the bootleg sound quality. One can sense Trane's transition toward more "free" playing, but within the ingenious structure of the Jones, Garrison, Tyner miracle unit. That creative foundation supporting Trane was largely lost when Jones and Tyler left (probably not long after this was recorded).We Trane students want to absorb and savor all we can, even despite poor production values and utterly inept formatting. There was something unique and irreplaceable about John Coltrane, particularly when he was with the "classic quartet." So, I am thankful for another gift, another taste of this sweet music.Douglas Groothuis"