Top Producers – Bob Thiele

John Coltrane – Ascension (Edition II)

More John Coltrane

More Jazz Recordings Featuring the Saxophone

  • With two solid Double Plus (A++) or BETTER sides, this early Stereo Impulse pressing (only the second copy to ever hit the site) is doing just about everything right – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • A great Rudy Van Gelder recording that hits a whole ‘nother level on a copy that was mastered and pressed as well as this one
  • It’s bigger, livelier, tubier, and with more presence and transparency than most of what we played – the sound positively jumps out the speakers
  • “Coltrane’s Ascension was originally released with the second take of the music from the recording session on June 28, 1965. These original pressings are commonly referred to as ‘Edition I.'”
  • “Shortly thereafter, Coltrane expressed a desire to instead use the first take. Impulse swapped out the stamper(s) for one(s) with the first take and inscribed ‘Edition II’ in the dead wax – ceasing production of the original version.” – Discogs
  • 5 stars: “…by the time of this recording [Coltrane] had begun to reach the level of ‘elder statesman’ … and expand his sounds and emotions. Therefore, Ascension reflects more of an event rather than just a jazz record and should be sought out by either experienced jazz appreciators or other open-minded listeners…”
  • If you’re a Coltrane fan, this title from 1965 is clearly one of his best from the era, and, fortunately for us audiophiles, one of his best sounding

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John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman – Nothing Special on Speakers Corner

More of the Music of John Coltrane

Reviews and Commentaries for the Music of John Coltrane

Sonic Grade: C (at best)

We were only slightly impressed with both the Speakers Corner pressing of this album and the earlier Impulse Heavy Vinyl edition from the ’90s. In our opinion neither one is worth pursuing.

This could very well be the greatest collaboration between a horn player and a singer in the history of music. I honestly cannot think of another to rank with it. Ella and Louis has the same feel — too giants who work together so sympathetically it’s close to magic, producing definitive performances of enduring standards that have not been equaled in the fifty plus years since they were recorded. And, on the better copies, or should we say the better sides of the better copies, RVG’s sound is stunning.

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They Say It’s Wonderful: Hartman and Coltrane, an Appreciation (more…)

Joe Turner – Singing the Blues

  • Joe Turner’s wonderful 1967 release finally arrives on the site with Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound from start to finish – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • This is an exceptionally well recorded blues album by one of the greats, with the kind of big, punchy, full-bodied sound that music such as this absolutely demands
  • “Backed by some top studio players of the era (Buddy Lucas on tenor and harmonica along with a four-piece rhythm section), the 56-year old classic blues singer shows that he was still in prime form.”

For years we have been touting a select group of albums Joe Turner did for Pablo in the ’70s — Life Ain’t Easy comes to mind — but this is our first foray into his Bluesway period. Mobile Fidelity did this title on CD right at the start of the digital era. As deaf as they are (seriously; who has made more bad sounding reissues than this group of so-called audiophiles?), apparently they could still hear that the sound of the original album was so good that it justified its release to the new audience armed with CD players as opposed to turntables. And now here we are, having gone full circle, back to vintage vinyl. (more…)