John Coltrane's 1963

On March 6^th 1963 the John Coltrane Quartet recorded a session at Van Gelder’s studio in Englewood Cliffs NJ. In 1966, Impulse released their third volume of previously unreleased tracks from various artists (The Definitive Jazz Scene Vol. 3, Impulse AS-9101). It included a version of Vilia recorded at that March 6^th session.

Both Directions at Once : The Lost Album

Some time after this LP release, the original master tapes of the March 6^th session were lost or discarded. However, as was the usual practice for Coltrane, Van Gelder recorded a ¼ inch, 7.5ips mono tape for him to listen to at home. It was this tape that was the source for Both Directions at Once : The Lost Album, issued earlier this year.

In 1962 and 1963 Bob Thiele of Impulse persuaded Coltrane to issue albums with more accessible music, complementing his more adventurous material. Thiele had been concerned about the negative press Trane had been receiving from some critics, and wanted to prove to them that Trane was way more rounded a musician than he was being given credit for.

The albums Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (AS-30) and Ballads (AS-32), released in early 1963, showed a mellower, slower, more lyrical side of Coltrane. Successful with the public and critics, they fulfilled what Thiele had been wanting. It also helped Trane’s relationship with Larry Newton, head of ABC Paramount (Impulse’s parent), who loved the gentler side of Trane and felt Ballads was “so good, it was so beautiful”.

Coltrane, Hartman and Jones

On March 7^th 1963, the Quartet returned to Van Gelder’s, this time with the singer Johnny Hartman. Hartman had been a big band singer in the US who had accepted a two week run in London, which became a two year stay. On his return to the US he felt he had been forgotten. He sat in with the Coltrane Quartet at Birdland in Feb ‘63 and afterwards ran through some numbers. Thiele planned the March 7^th session, recording seven numbers in one or two takes only. Six tracks made the album, with only Afro Blue not making the cut. Apparently Hartman had repeatedly intoned the title with no other lyrics, proving unuseable.

The Definitive Jazz Scene Vol 2 (1964)

April 29^th the Quartet were back, this time only capturing three numbers. After the Rain, appearing on Impressions (AS-42), All the Things You Are (unissued) and Dear Old Stockholm, first issued on The Definitive Jazz Scene Vol. 2 (AS-9100).

Later in 1963 Coltrane made another annual trip to Europe, taking in dates in seven countries and playing major music venues (when at home he would regularly play the Half Note in NYC). Two other US live dates in 1963 would make albums, Newport on July 7^th and Birdland (NYC) on October 8^th.

Live at Birdland (1964)

His last recording session in the year was November 18^th when he recorded tracks complementing the live Birdland date.

This month Universal Music released a complete 1963 recording album (3 x CD) including the relevant tracks from New Directions, John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, Impressions, Selflessness, The Mastery of John Coltrane Vol II, Coltrane - Live at Birdland and The Definitive Jazz Scene Vols. 2 & 3. 

1963 was a good year for Coltrane, not a stellar one like 1965, and it continued the mixed output from the year before. It was also the year when he started engaging more with the younger avant-garde artists in New York.

References : The House That Trane Built; A Love Supreme - Ashley Kahn, Jazz Discography Project