From our archives
To mark the 50th anniversary of his death, theFrench Le Chant du Monde label release the mostcomplete set so far of the much-bootlegged 1961European Tour.
The box set contains all extant material from the shows in Paris, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm and also includes (unlike other sets onthe market) the 27th November Stuttgart and 2nd December Berlin gigs.
As a further bonus, a set from Coltrane’s first visit to Europe, as a memberof the Miles Davis Quintet, has been added(Dusseldorf, March 1960).
Sound quality is not always pristine on these recordings but they stand as historical artefacts ofone of the greatest musicians of the century, ofany genre and, as such, are essential. More’s the pity then that the sleeve notes are in French only but the music speaks for itself.
Features the Quintet of John Coltrane (tenor &soprano saxophones); Eric Dolphy (altosaxophone, bass clarinet, flute); McCoy Tyner(piano); Reggie Workman (bass); Elvin Jones(drums)
Budget-priced 7 CD box set with 40-page booklet. Over 7 hours of music.