Recorded on August 26, 1965 (and not released until after his death), Sun Ship was the final recording by John Coltrane's
quartet with drummer Elvin Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner, and bassist
Jimmy Garrison. Pharoah Sanders would join the group the following
month, and Tyner and Jones would depart in January of 1966 to be
replaced by Alice Coltrane and Rashied Ali. It is also one of the
saxophonist's most intense taped performances. After nearly four years
together, this band had achieved a vital collective identity. When
Coltrane moved toward metrically free styles of rhythm and melody (with
tunes often based on one chord or a short series of notes as themes),
the quartet's rhythmic pulse and collective interplay evolved
accordingly. The original album featured edited and sometimes overdubbed
performances of its four compositions. Sun Ship: The Complete Session
delivers both complete versions of the album's performances, but also
multiple takes of "Dearly Beloved," "Attaining," and the title track.
There are inserts where edits and overdubs were clearly made, with
studio dialogue, arrangement breakdowns, false starts, etc. Disc two
contains eight different takes of "Ascent" (including the previously
released version) as well as alternate and released takes of "Amen," and
studio conversation. Author David Wild's detailed liner essay
eloquently details the process in the album's creation and problems
encountered, adding a keen insight into Bob Theile's and Coltrane's
production methods and aesthetics. A set like this is obviously intended
for the saxophonist's devotees, critics, and jazz historians, but even a
casual listen offers a fascinating look at how different these sessions
were from the final product.- John Coltrane - Sax;
- Jimmy Garrison - Bass;
- Elvin Jones - Drums;
- McCoy Tyner - Piano.
Disc 1
01. John Coltrane Quartet - Dearly Beloved (Takes 1 & 2, False Start And Alternate Version)
02. John Coltrane Quartet - Dearly Beloved (Take 3, Breakdown)
03. John Coltrane Quartet - Dearly Beloved (Take 4, Complete Version)
04. John Coltrane Quartet - Attaining (Take 1, Alternate Version)
05. John Coltrane Quartet - Attaining (Take 2, Breakdown)
06. John Coltrane Quartet - Attaining (Take 3, Complete Version)
07. John Coltrane Quartet - Attaining (Take 4, Insert 1)
08. John Coltrane Quartet - Sun Ship (Take 1, Breakdown)
09. John Coltrane Quartet - Sun Ship (Take 2, Complete Alternate Version)
10. John Coltrane Quartet - Sun Ship (Take 3, Insert 1)
11. John Coltrane Quartet - Sun Ship (Take 4, Complete Version)
Disc 2
12. John Coltrane Quartet - Studio Conversation
13. John Coltrane Quartet - Ascent (Take 1, Complete Version)
14. John Coltrane Quartet - Ascent (Take 2, Incomplete Version)
15. John Coltrane Quartet - Ascent (Take 3, False Starts, Incomplete Version)
16. John Coltrane Quartet - Ascent (Takes 4-6, Inserts/False Starts)
17. John Coltrane Quartet - Ascent (Take 7, Complete Insert 4)
18. John Coltrane Quartet - Ascent (Take 8, Complete Insert 5)
19. John Coltrane Quartet - Amen (Take 1, Alternate Version)
20. John Coltrane Quartet - Amen (Take 2, Released Version)
