"I'm trying so many things at one time." John Coltrane.
"He had outgrown everybody's band except his own." Jimmy Cobb on Coltrane.
"What was he doing? Was it valid? Was it jazz?" from Jazz Hot and Jazz magazines, France, talking about Coltrane.
"Coltrane was out there with the one blue suit he wore, a white shirt, one other white shirt, an airline bag, and some rum-flavored Lifesavers he liked. That's all he had." Jimmy Cobb talking about Coltrane on the 1960 tour.
This box set has to be one of the better releases in this series. These shows have been released in years past ("All Of You: The Last Tour 1960") with even more music from this 1960 tour, but this official set includes five of the best sounding shows from this European tour. The sound (from "the original radio source and the archives of the producers") has been improved some from previous releases--there's a bit more space between the instruments with the original warmth of the sound still intact, but it's the interaction between Davis and Coltrane that makes this set worth owning, any sound issues aside. Included are two shows from Paris on March 21, two shows from Stockholm on March 22, and one show from Copenhagen on March 24. The Coltrane interview is interesting and does add more of a period feel to the music, but after hearing it once or twice, not something you'll probably sit through again.
Trying to pick out one concert over another is pretty difficult and actually pretty useless, because the interaction between Davis and Coltrane runs all through this music. Along with Wynton Kelly on piano whose playing in, around and between the horns really sparkles (listen to his solo on "Bye Bye Blackbird"), while Paul Chambers' bass anchors these performances even as Coltrane is beginning to tear himself away from the rest of the band, and Jimmy Cobb's drumming, propelling the music along with his muscular playing, all the while letting the horns battle it out. Just listen to Chambers and Cobb on the March 21 "So What"--that's jazz baby! There's little let up between gigs--this is one hot band--even though it was beginning to fall apart musically. All through these shows you can hear Coltrane straining against Davis' more straight ahead approach, and this is what's so exciting to hear--Coltrane making his move toward his own sound--while Davis continues along in his melodic, post be-bop style. Davis was swinging in his subdued, cool, smooth style, while Coltrane was emotionally charged up, and you can hear it in his visceral solos, and the difference is telling.
There's some tunes repeated over these five shows--"So What", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Walkin'", and "All Blues" are included in different shows. But listen to things like "'Round Midnight", or "So What" (the live versions of this tune are played much faster than the classic studio version). You'll hear the difference between the horns while the rest of the band is holding everything together even as Coltrane pushes himself onto a different musical path--familiar standards next to more modal compositions--the music both swings (Davis) and crackles (Coltrane), producing both excitement and confusion among the audiences.
There's few recorded times when you can hear a major jazz musician changing his sound right in front of you, and this is one of those times. These five concerts are all good examples of this important and exciting time in Coltrane's path as a musician. And while he would go on to establish his own sound in his own bands, these shows are an important piece of his (and the jazz genre as a whole) evolution. The feeling is palpable all through this European tour that Coltrane had moved on from the more melody based sound Davis was still playing in 1960. And the juxtaposition between the different approaches in styles makes this box set both an important point in jazz, plus makes for exciting listening for fans of both Davis and Coltrane. This is a very valuable and musically worthwhile addition to anyone's shelf of either Davis' or Coltrane's music.
The packaging is similar to previous sets in this series and the 30 page booklet has important essays on the music, complete track list, and period photos.
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The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6
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Product details
- Product Dimensions : 5.51 x 5 x 0.98 inches; 8.01 ounces
- Manufacturer : Miles & John Coltrane Davis
- Item model number : 88985 448392
- Date First Available : March 25, 2018
- Label : Miles & John Coltrane Davis
- ASIN : B07DBVXD8L
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #97,672 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #1,012 in Modern Postbebop (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
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4.8 out of 5
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2018
This music is often discussed primarily in terms of its historical significance, and that’s valid as far as it goes. It’s true that Coltrane was reluctant to join the tour, having outgrown his role as Miles Davis’s sideman; that at times during some (by no means all) of his solos there is a palpable sense of tension as he plies his new approach to improvising within the constraints imposed by the material and by the rhythm section’s more mainstream style of playing it; and that some audience members responded to his new direction with audible (and, to my ears, smugly self-satisfied) derision.
However, as interesting as these recordings may be for the glimpse they give us of Coltrane at a crucial moment of transition, the main reason to listen to them is that they contain rivetingly gorgeous music, performed by one of the best groups of jazz musicians ever assembled. Davis himself is in excellent form, playing with impeccable control of tone and dynamics, and while there is nothing “avant-garde” about his solos in this period, they are poised, assured, and often exceedingly beautiful. Pianist Wynton Kelly improvises with his usual perfect blend of bluesiness and lyricism, and as an accompanist he provides thoughtful, unobtrusive support, swinging hard and contributing clever harmonic and rhythmic ideas without stealing the spotlight. He is ably abetted by Jimmy Cobb’s crisply expressive drumming and Paul Chambers’s sure, swinging bass, and the three rhythm players complement each other so effortlessly that listening to their seamless rapport in ensemble passages and beneath the horn players’ solos is a distinct pleasure in its own right. And Coltrane, whether playing in the aggressively exploratory style that so challenged some audience members or reverting to a more straight-ahead mode, plays with conviction; he may have had mixed feelings about the gig, but his commitment to making meaningful music was unwavering, and the results are compelling.
A word about the sound: I’ve had pretty decent-sounding bootleg or “gray-market” recordings of most of these concerts for years, so I expected only a marginal improvement in sound quality from these official releases. I was wrong. In fact, the sound is vastly improved, and I’m hearing so much more detail and nuance that my appreciation for these performances has increased immensely. If you’re on the fence about purchasing this set because you already have some or all of these concerts in another form, rest assured that the enhanced fidelity is well worth the expense.
However, as interesting as these recordings may be for the glimpse they give us of Coltrane at a crucial moment of transition, the main reason to listen to them is that they contain rivetingly gorgeous music, performed by one of the best groups of jazz musicians ever assembled. Davis himself is in excellent form, playing with impeccable control of tone and dynamics, and while there is nothing “avant-garde” about his solos in this period, they are poised, assured, and often exceedingly beautiful. Pianist Wynton Kelly improvises with his usual perfect blend of bluesiness and lyricism, and as an accompanist he provides thoughtful, unobtrusive support, swinging hard and contributing clever harmonic and rhythmic ideas without stealing the spotlight. He is ably abetted by Jimmy Cobb’s crisply expressive drumming and Paul Chambers’s sure, swinging bass, and the three rhythm players complement each other so effortlessly that listening to their seamless rapport in ensemble passages and beneath the horn players’ solos is a distinct pleasure in its own right. And Coltrane, whether playing in the aggressively exploratory style that so challenged some audience members or reverting to a more straight-ahead mode, plays with conviction; he may have had mixed feelings about the gig, but his commitment to making meaningful music was unwavering, and the results are compelling.
A word about the sound: I’ve had pretty decent-sounding bootleg or “gray-market” recordings of most of these concerts for years, so I expected only a marginal improvement in sound quality from these official releases. I was wrong. In fact, the sound is vastly improved, and I’m hearing so much more detail and nuance that my appreciation for these performances has increased immensely. If you’re on the fence about purchasing this set because you already have some or all of these concerts in another form, rest assured that the enhanced fidelity is well worth the expense.
Top reviews from other countries
Gavin
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Important Issue.
Reviewed in Canada on September 28, 2018
This was John Coltrane's last tour with Miles Davis and although many of these broadcasts have been available on European issues the sound here has never been better, The best recorded concerts during the tour are covered here and the well-written notes put everything in perspective. Miles is in magnificent form and the rhythm section was one of his best with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Then there is the mighty and adventurous Coltrane breaking free from convention and stretching the boundries of this music. Miles gave Coltrane unlimited space and he uses it fully! An amazing compilation and a most important set of music that defines an amazing era.
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Pranio Angelo
5.0 out of 5 stars
The final tour
Reviewed in Italy on January 1, 2019
Musica sempre bella, immortale. Da avere.
Manuel Grosso Galvan
5.0 out of 5 stars
EL FINAL DE UNA EPOCA , EL PRICIPIO DE UNA NUEVA
Reviewed in Spain on July 26, 2018
Por vez primera se edita de forma oficial estos conciertos de la gira europea de 1960. Es cierto que que desde hace años estaban disponibles estas grabaciones piratas, incluso hay una caja que contiene mas conciertos aunque de inferior calidad sonora. En esencia estos son los concierto mejor grabados y ahora se puede decir que con un incremento de su calidad sonora. Se trata de una gira fundamental para el jazz. Tras el Kind of Blue Davis y Coltrane se separan pero una oferta importante de una gira europea hace que ambos se vuelvan a unir. Es importante oír como ya en los conciertos hay dos mundo distintos , Miles anclado aun en el hard bop y Coltrane que ya empieza su camino hacia un espacio diferente. De hecho en las improvisaciones jamas coinciden, cada uno por su lado creando a su vez un espacio fantástico de confluencias . Ahora Sonny recoge los principales conciertos en un solo disco en 4 CD que son indispensables para cualquier amante del jazz. Son Miles y Coltrane en la cima de sus carreras. Inolvidable el concierto de Estocolmo. Comprelo sin dudar
John M Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Miles comes full circle
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2018
In my review of Volume 2 of this Bootleg series I speculated on the continuation of the series. I need not have worried as here we are on Volume 6. In a sense Miles comes full circle with this set of four CDs. The preceding five sets had more or less taken us chronologically from the mid-1960s through to the late 1970s, but now we are back to 1960 just after the making of the Kind of Blue album. So instead of listening to the excellent Wayne Shorter taking on John Coltranes’s mantle, we get to hear the man himself. The band here is nearly that of the classic Kind of Blue album but with no Cannonball Adderley, and Wynton Kelly is on all tracks rather than just the one where he replaced Bill Evans in the studio sessions.
The band is enjoyed very enthusiastically in the European concert halls from which the recordings come, providing a good atmosphere. By 1960 Miles was moving successfully into these bigger venues on tour and breaking away from the intimate club performances.
From Kind of Blue there are four versions of So What (with versions varying in length from 10 minutes to 15) and two of All Blues. Of other Miles early classics, there are three versions of On Green Dolphin Street and two of Walkin’, so much to savour. Many tracks are a generous fifteen minutes long, and the band is really able to open out. Sound quality is good and picks up all instruments well, including the odd fluff or miscue, inevitably a feature of the live performances.
So much for the background - what about the music? I think it is great. Miles is on top form on both open trumpet and using the mute. Coltrane is determined to squeeze in extra notes wherever he can. The sleeve notes talk of the tensions between the two front-men as Coltrane gets ready to go off in new directions, but this does not diminish the quality of the music. There is not much ensemble playing between the two giants, but there are some great solos. Piano, bass and drum work is very solid. Paul Chambers leads the band into So What with solo bass in the authoritative way he did on the studio recording, albeit at a faster pace. Wynton Kelly takes a more swinging bop approach than Bill Evans would (or even Herbie Hancock) but the tracks really move when he solos. Jimmy Cobb is excellent throughout, showing clearly how bedded into working with Miles he had become. Many tracks are taken at a brisk pace and the rhythm section drives the band on, providing the opportunities for Miles and Coltrane to soar above. Because the set of concerts at the three European venues took place within a span of just four days there is a great uniformity in the playing and the material sounds almost like one very long concert. This is not a criticism but merely notes that the listener is able to settle down and enjoy an extended performance that demonstrates just what Miles and the band could do in 1960.
All-in-all this is an outstanding collection to listen to, and there are some great photographs in the booklet with Miles looking particularly pleased to be in Paris again. It is great that we can share some of the experience with him. The concerts conclude with a short interview with Coltrane, which is interesting but not something you will want to listen to every time you hear the music.
Will there be more live material to come in this series? Surely there will, as there are more concerts from Fillmore around and other material has appeared on small labels that would benefit from the careful use of quality re-mastering techniques. I look forward to hearing more.
The band is enjoyed very enthusiastically in the European concert halls from which the recordings come, providing a good atmosphere. By 1960 Miles was moving successfully into these bigger venues on tour and breaking away from the intimate club performances.
From Kind of Blue there are four versions of So What (with versions varying in length from 10 minutes to 15) and two of All Blues. Of other Miles early classics, there are three versions of On Green Dolphin Street and two of Walkin’, so much to savour. Many tracks are a generous fifteen minutes long, and the band is really able to open out. Sound quality is good and picks up all instruments well, including the odd fluff or miscue, inevitably a feature of the live performances.
So much for the background - what about the music? I think it is great. Miles is on top form on both open trumpet and using the mute. Coltrane is determined to squeeze in extra notes wherever he can. The sleeve notes talk of the tensions between the two front-men as Coltrane gets ready to go off in new directions, but this does not diminish the quality of the music. There is not much ensemble playing between the two giants, but there are some great solos. Piano, bass and drum work is very solid. Paul Chambers leads the band into So What with solo bass in the authoritative way he did on the studio recording, albeit at a faster pace. Wynton Kelly takes a more swinging bop approach than Bill Evans would (or even Herbie Hancock) but the tracks really move when he solos. Jimmy Cobb is excellent throughout, showing clearly how bedded into working with Miles he had become. Many tracks are taken at a brisk pace and the rhythm section drives the band on, providing the opportunities for Miles and Coltrane to soar above. Because the set of concerts at the three European venues took place within a span of just four days there is a great uniformity in the playing and the material sounds almost like one very long concert. This is not a criticism but merely notes that the listener is able to settle down and enjoy an extended performance that demonstrates just what Miles and the band could do in 1960.
All-in-all this is an outstanding collection to listen to, and there are some great photographs in the booklet with Miles looking particularly pleased to be in Paris again. It is great that we can share some of the experience with him. The concerts conclude with a short interview with Coltrane, which is interesting but not something you will want to listen to every time you hear the music.
Will there be more live material to come in this series? Surely there will, as there are more concerts from Fillmore around and other material has appeared on small labels that would benefit from the careful use of quality re-mastering techniques. I look forward to hearing more.
8 people found this helpful
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Santo Trafficante
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eine Überraschung
Reviewed in Germany on April 28, 2018
Ich glaube, ich habe jetzt mehr oder weniger alle regulär veröffentlichten Aufnahmen von Miles gehört. Diese Box wollte ich zuerst gar nicht bestellen, irgendwann muss doch Schluss sein, dachte ich mir. Glücklicherweise hat mich der günstige Preis bewogen, es doch zu tun.
Und ich bin begeistert. Die Aufnahmen sind wohl einfach so nebenbei entstanden, ohne Absicht, diese zu veröffentlichen. Die Musik war für die Zeit bestimmt zu ungewohnt. Für mich ist das spezielle daran die relativ grade aus groovende Rhythmusgruppe mit Wynton Kelly, einem meiner Lieblinge. An ihm mag ich seinen Funk, der aber immer im Hardbop wurzelt. Jimmy Cobb am Schlagzeug passt da sehr gut dazu, Tony Williams wäre mir hier zu verspielt, zu fragmentarisch. Über diesen Tracks fährt vor allem John Coltrane seine Soundexperimente und Cluster voll aus, ja man hat des Gefühl, er sei eigentlich gar nicht ganz da, er profitiere von dieser Tournee, um neue Sachen auszuprobieren. Ob die Reaktionen im Publikum eher auf Beifall als auf Schock schliessen lassen, habe ich nicht rausfinden können. Er hat die Stücke natürlich schon unzählige Male mit Miles gespielt, sie ein paar Jahre vorher ja auch aufgenommen, kennt davon jede Ecke, und zerlegt sie nun in seiner letzten Periode mit Miles. Hier kann man wirklich mit Fug sagen : Unerhört.
Man merkt: Die Box lohnt den Kauf vor allem der Sidemen wegen. Das heisst aber nicht, dass Miles nicht auf der Höhe wäre. Es ist halt einfach weniger spektakulär, weil hier nichts Ungewöhnliches zu vermelden wäre.
Und ich bin begeistert. Die Aufnahmen sind wohl einfach so nebenbei entstanden, ohne Absicht, diese zu veröffentlichen. Die Musik war für die Zeit bestimmt zu ungewohnt. Für mich ist das spezielle daran die relativ grade aus groovende Rhythmusgruppe mit Wynton Kelly, einem meiner Lieblinge. An ihm mag ich seinen Funk, der aber immer im Hardbop wurzelt. Jimmy Cobb am Schlagzeug passt da sehr gut dazu, Tony Williams wäre mir hier zu verspielt, zu fragmentarisch. Über diesen Tracks fährt vor allem John Coltrane seine Soundexperimente und Cluster voll aus, ja man hat des Gefühl, er sei eigentlich gar nicht ganz da, er profitiere von dieser Tournee, um neue Sachen auszuprobieren. Ob die Reaktionen im Publikum eher auf Beifall als auf Schock schliessen lassen, habe ich nicht rausfinden können. Er hat die Stücke natürlich schon unzählige Male mit Miles gespielt, sie ein paar Jahre vorher ja auch aufgenommen, kennt davon jede Ecke, und zerlegt sie nun in seiner letzten Periode mit Miles. Hier kann man wirklich mit Fug sagen : Unerhört.
Man merkt: Die Box lohnt den Kauf vor allem der Sidemen wegen. Das heisst aber nicht, dass Miles nicht auf der Höhe wäre. Es ist halt einfach weniger spektakulär, weil hier nichts Ungewöhnliches zu vermelden wäre.