Trasando
The Classic Quartet had a groove that many folks myslef felt was the peak.Once Pharoah Sander entered in on Meditations things just got more and more out.You have to wonder what Coltrane was thinking that he who was a grerat innovator in the line from Coleman Hawkins to Sonny Rollins and to Colatrane who started his career relatively late as a leader had such an impact as an inovator from his Miles perios to Giant Steps "SDheets Of Sound" why would he follow Albert Ayler or Shepp into the new thing?Less satisfying musically he fllowed and din't lead for the last four years of his life fater '64.But if you want to hear some stuff that will blow your mind check out the live recordings availible on small lables like Blue Parrot of his live stuff in Europe and Japan in 64-65.He kjept the standard repetory but started to extend the songs out to up to 20 minutes and it is much heavier than what what he had done previously,still with Tyner,Garrison ,and Jones but much more fre and harder edge.But Lp's like The Major Works of John Coltrane-it's just to out.For me.I like some of the "New Thing" but insmall dosees.But hey what if he had lived.Just listen to the beaautifull Lp's that Sanders made recently like "Journey To The One" or Shepp's beatific Ballad Lp/CD's on Venus (the best recodings I have ever heard on 24 bit machines that wehn played back on CD players blow 95% of all CD's away".Or Marion Brown "Offering".These guys could now be said to have become neo conservative or full circle.I think that Coltrane may have done amzingly beautifull things but like with Hendrix we can only wonder.
C
