The fourth of the great Impulse box set series of essential
Coltrane – Live At The Village Vanguard Again!, Expression, Om, Cosmic Music and Selflessness in a 5CD set! First in '66,
Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later
Coltrane years. Includes an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison and a 6+ minute intro! Expression is first Impulse album issued after the early death of
John Coltrane. It's got a somber, introspective quality that almost hints at the darkness to come – a new way of reaching the spiritual planes that
Coltrane was striving for in his music, but with gentler, more individual energy than before. Alice
Coltrane plays piano on all tracks, and
Coltrane plays tenor throughout – except for the long track "To Be", which has him on flute and Pharaoh Sanders on piccolo! Other titles include "Offering", "Expression", and "Ogunde". Om is one of
Coltrane's spiritual masterpieces from the 60s – and one of his most open-ended sessions to date! The album features one long track – "Om" – a meditative ode that features the playing of Pharoah Sanders, Don Garrett, and Joe Brazil – in addition to the usual
Coltrane quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. Cosmic Music is a haunting set, with a few tracks that are dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. Tracks include "The Sun", "Reverend King", "Manifestation", and the incredible spiritual track "Lord Help Me To Be". Selflessness features 2 tracks recorded at the Newport Jazz fest in 1963 – both with Roy Haynes on drums, plus the usual McCoy Tyner/
Jimmy Garrison lineup. One of these cuts is a very long reading of "My Favorite Things" – with a sweet loping modal groove, but soloing that is quite a bit more "out" than the famous studio version. The 3rd track on the album – "Selflessness" – was recorded in LA in 1965, and it features Raphael Don Garrett on bass clarinet, adding some nice Dolphy-esque touches.