John Coltrane Quartet, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones / Germany, April 11, 1963, FM Broadcast Edition

This legendary live performance from the latter half of their 1963 European tour, recorded in Stuttgart, Germany, by the quartet at their peak, has been revived here with the most vivid sound ever, thanks to a 2024 rebroadcast recording. This important performance meticulously documents the pinnacle of modal jazz and the spiritual exhilaration achieved by the golden quartet. The nearly 30-minute masterful performance of “Impressions” is breathtaking. It vividly captures Coltrane’s process of breaking through existing chord progressions and forms, and approaching the free jazz of his later years. In particular, the fierce exchange with Elvin Jones is tremendous, foreshadowing the radicalization that would occur from 1965 onwards. Furthermore, the solitary cadenza heard in “I Want To Talk About You,” the soprano saxophone swirling in “My Favorite Things,” and the dense groove of “Afro Blue” allow you to experience the entirety of the 1963 quartet in the highest quality sound, which is the greatest appeal of this release. Please note that the broadcast time for “Mr. P.C.” is 23 minutes and 57 seconds, which differs from the old title, because the solo parts by Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones after McCoy Tyner were omitted due to time constraints. However, this version was included with sound quality as the primary consideration. Also, there are rumors that “Impressions” is included on disc 7 of “Live Trane The European Tours,” but recent researchers have determined that the performance included on disc 7 is from the Berlin concert on November 2nd. Live At Liederhalle, Mozartsaal, Stuttgart, Germany November 4th, 1963 Disc 1 1.The Promise(7:22) 2.Afro-Blue(6:35) 3.I Want To Talk About You(10:42) 4.Impressions(28:14) Disc 2 5.My Favorite Things(18:38) 6.Every Time We Say Goodbye(5:54) 7.Mr. P.C.(23:57) John Coltrane(ss, ts) McCoy Tyner(p) Jimmy Garrison(b) Elvin Jones(dr)