John Coltrane
Both Directions at Once
The Lost Album
Impulse-Verve 2018
front cover
rear cover
gatefold open
inner sleeve
inner sleeve
inner sleeve
inner sleeve
poster
Review
If you need any more proof of the resurgence of vinyl this album package is certainly it. John Coltrane was one of the greatest musicians in jazz, or in my opinion, all of music.
This album was never released before and survives only because his wife at the time Naima had, in her possession, a tape copy of the complete recording that Coltrane had received from Rudy Van Gellder, the recording engineer, after the session.
This deluxe package contains, on two records, all of the complete tracks recorded in one 5 hour session on March 6, 1963. There are four takes of the song "Impressions" and you can hear the development of the tune as the takes progress.
This Coltrane music fits into the Impulse period between the first Impulse album “Africa Brass” and his masterpiece ”A love Supreme”. This music can sometimes be challenging but his musical mastery along with a young McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and the great Elvin Jones still, after almost sixty years, creates a sense of wonder.
The packaging is a die cut gate fold cover with a poster that folds out to 24 x 24 inches, inner sleeve photos and extensive liner notes are on the rear of the poster.
Note: If you are new to John Coltrane’s music my suggestion is to start with the three Atlantic albums that preceded the Impulse period “Giant Steps”, My Favorite Things” and “Ole”. After “A love Supreme” the music gets out there.