John Coltrane's recently discovered album will be released this month. Coltrane recorded the compilation in 1963, but it only surfaced 55 years later.
Two of the songs in the album, namely, "Untitled Original 11383" and "Untitled Original 11386" have never been heard before, but the former has already been released.
The over five-minute audio mostly features various instruments that Coltrane and his bandmates played. Three years after his death, the musician's friends and family thought that his records were lost and likely destroyed. However, it was recently revealed that he gave a reference tape to his wife, Naima.
When Were The Tracks Recorded?
Coltrane and his bandmates recorded the two songs at the Van Gelder Studios on March 6, 1963. McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Garrison make up the classic quartet. After Coltrane's family retrieved the recordings, they reached out to Impulse! Records, the artist's record label.
Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album will be released on June 29. It will be available on standard and deluxe editions. The standard version will feature seven of Coltrane's never-before-heard tracks, and the deluxe version will feature 14 of his songs, including alternate takes.
John Fordham Comments On John Coltrane's Songs
John Fordham, a jazz critic, shared his thoughts on the recently discovered songs of Coltrane.
"Coltrane was looking back at bebop - the virtuosity and melodic resources of which he had stretched to breaking point - and the song-based lyricism of jazz he had recently explored with Duke Ellington and was about to with Johnny Hartman. But he was also looking forward to imagining the more intense, mantra-like, spiritually-driven music," said Fordham.
John Coltrane's Music Career
Coltrane was an American saxophonist who is also known as Trane. He was born on Sept. 23, 1926, and he passed away on July 17, 1967. He helped pioneer various modes in jazz and was later at the forefront of free jazz. Coltrane also influenced several musicians, and he remains to be one of the best saxophonists in music history.
Some of his albums are The Avant-Garde, A Love Supreme, My Favorite Things, Giant Steps, Blue Train, Ascension, Impressions, Lush Life, Soultrane, Interstellar Space, Transition, Stardust, and Expression.
Coltrane's most popular songs are "Giant Steps: Naima," "Mr. P.C.," "Moment's Notice," "26-2," "In a Sentimental Mood," "Equinox," "My One and Only Love," "Afro Blue," "Lazy Bird," "I'm Old Fashioned," "Ogunde," "Nancy," "All Blues," "I Want To Talk About You," "Wise One," and "Soul Eyes."
