Live at the Village Vanguard Again!
Encyclopedia
Live At The Village Vanguard Again! is a jazz album by saxophonist
John Coltrane
. Recorded in May of 1966, the album shows Coltrane playing in the free jazz
style that characterized his final recordings.
Out of all the recordings made during the session, only three pieces remain. There are recordings of "Naima" (originally from the album Giant Steps
), "My Favorite Things" (from the album of the same name) and a bass solo by Jimmy Garrison
entitled, "Introduction to My Favorite Things".
The line up consists of the augmented Quartet of the time, featuring Alice Coltrane
on piano, Jimmy Garrison
on bass, and Rashied Ali
on drums. Additionally, Pharoah Sanders
contributes on flute and tenor saxophone, and Emanuel Rahim plays percussion.
Coltrane and Sanders typically solo during the pieces over a whirlwind of percussion. Alice Coltrane can be heard playing in the background but at times is barely audible. Bass player Jimmy Garrison is somewhat hard to hear throughout the recording, except in his six minute bass solo.
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
. Recorded in May of 1966, the album shows Coltrane playing in the free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
style that characterized his final recordings.
Out of all the recordings made during the session, only three pieces remain. There are recordings of "Naima" (originally from the album Giant Steps
Giant Steps
-Personnel:* John Coltrane — tenor saxophone* Tommy Flanagan — piano* Wynton Kelly — piano on "Naima"* Paul Chambers — bass* Art Taylor — drums* Jimmy Cobb — drums on "Naima"* Cedar Walton — piano on "Giant Steps' and Naima" alternate versions...
), "My Favorite Things" (from the album of the same name) and a bass solo by Jimmy Garrison
Jimmy Garrison
Jimmy Garrison was an American jazz double bassist born in Miami, Florida. He was best known through his long association with John Coltrane from 1961–1967.-Biography:...
entitled, "Introduction to My Favorite Things".
The line up consists of the augmented Quartet of the time, featuring Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
on piano, Jimmy Garrison
Jimmy Garrison
Jimmy Garrison was an American jazz double bassist born in Miami, Florida. He was best known through his long association with John Coltrane from 1961–1967.-Biography:...
on bass, and Rashied Ali
Rashied Ali
Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson was an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life.-Biography:...
on drums. Additionally, Pharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders is a Grammy Award–winning American jazz saxophonist.Saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world." Emerging from John Coltrane's groups of the mid-60s Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on...
contributes on flute and tenor saxophone, and Emanuel Rahim plays percussion.
Coltrane and Sanders typically solo during the pieces over a whirlwind of percussion. Alice Coltrane can be heard playing in the background but at times is barely audible. Bass player Jimmy Garrison is somewhat hard to hear throughout the recording, except in his six minute bass solo.
Track listing
On the 1967 LP, and the 1997 CD release:- "NaimaNaima"Naima" is a ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959, and named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. It first appeared on the album Giant Steps, and is notable for its use of a variety of rich chords over a bass pedal...
" – 15:08 - "Introduction to My Favorite Things" – 6:07
- "My Favorite ThingsMy Favorite Things (song)"My Favorite Things" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-The Sound of Music version:The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a...
" – 20:21
Personnel
- John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
– soprano saxophoneSoprano saxophoneThe soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
, tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, bass clarinetBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone, flute
- Alice Coltrane – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Jimmy Garrison – bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
- Rashied Ali – drums
- Emanuel Rahim – percussion