The John Coltrane Quartet – Africa / Brass (Vinyl LP)

The John Coltrane Quartet – Africa / Brass is John Coltrane's first album for Impulse!, released in September 1961. It was recorded on May 23 and June 7, 1961 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, produced by Creed Taylor and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder. The quartet with McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones is joined by a large brass section with French horns, tuba and euphonium, arranged by Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner. Side A is taken up by the 16-minute "Africa". This copy is a 1980 US reissue on MCA (cat. no. MCA 29007).

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: MCA 29007
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album
• Pressing: US reissue
• Country: USA
• Year of this pressing: 1980 (original: 1961)
• Genre: Jazz, Modal, Post Bop

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: Side 1 NM-, side 2 VG+
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale (SKU SH305).

Tracklist

Side A

1. Africa (John Coltrane)

Side B

1. Greensleeves (Traditional, arr. McCoy Tyner)
2. Blues Minor (John Coltrane)

Personnel

Quartet: John Coltrane (soprano and tenor saxophone), McCoy Tyner (piano), Reggie Workman (bass), Elvin Jones (drums).

Brass and reeds: Booker Little (trumpet), Julius Watkins, Bob Northern, Robert Swisshelm (French horn), Bill Barber (tuba), Pat Patrick (baritone saxophone), Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute). Added on May 23: Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Julian Priester and Charles Greenlee (euphonium), Jim Buffington (French horn), Garvin Bushell (piccolo, woodwinds) and Paul Chambers (bass); added on June 7: Britt Woodman (trombone), Donald Corrado (French horn), Carl Bowman (euphonium) and Art Davis (second bass on "Africa").

Arrangements: Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner. Produced by Creed Taylor; engineered by Rudy Van Gelder.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
No. The album first came out on Impulse! in 1961. This copy is a 1980 US reissue on MCA, which handled the Impulse! catalogue at the time.

Who wrote the brass arrangements?
Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner. The original issue credited only Dolphy; later editions added Tyner's share.

What does Media side 1 NM-, side 2 VG+ / Cover VG+ mean?
Side 1 of the record is close to new (Near Mint minus), side 2 shows light signs of use that hardly affect playback (Very Good Plus). The sleeve is also VG+ with light wear. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more John Coltrane records?
Yes, for example John Coltrane – A Love Supreme, John Coltrane – My Favorite Things or John Coltrane – Ascension (Edition II). More titles are in our Jazz collection.