SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOHN COLTRANE – EVENINGS AT THE VILLAGE GATE: JOHN COLTRANE WITH ERIC DOLPHY

John Coltrane
Evenings At The Village Gate: John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy
Impulse! Records

Recently discovered at The New York Public Library For The Performing Arts – how original masters of this caliber get lost we’ll never know – Evenings At The Village Gate: John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy is the latest collection of live material to emerge from the Coltrane estate. Backed by Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones, Coltrane was a resident artist at New York City’s The Village Gate in the summer of 1961. The set was recorded as a means of testing the clubs new sound system, but also happened to capture Coltrane at the beginning of his Impulse era, a creative period which saw the prolific artist as he shifted into a musically experimental direction.

Evenings At The Village Gate opens with a stirring, 15-mns long rendition of “My Favourite Things”. Without ever reaching a boiling point, Coltrane and his band simmer on a mesmerising pulse. that emphasises the sublime over flash in the pan. The control and taste within a group of this caliber is unparalleled and their ability to leave you longing after each phrase without resorting to their bebop chops or any serious rhythmic and harmonic modulations is inspiring. The following song, “When The Lights Are Low” follows a similar theme as the group effortlessly saunters through the standard while adding fashionable solos for the time, ultimately breathing new life into the classic. As the song progresses, again over the course of 15 minutes, Coltrane delivers an explosive solo that is nothing less than you’d expect – his ability to do so with such ease should never fail to impress.

Without any warning, the band dives headfirst into “Impressions”. If the previous two songs saw Coltrane performing in a more standard manner – albeit, still nothing short of brilliant – then it only served as a warmup for the blistering and relentless sonic barrage of one of only two Coltrane originals performed that night. The song is performed without flaws; jazz expressionism for the very pure sake of art itself. The raw, unbridled musicianship and chemistry among this band is exceptional. This is only furthered through the mid-tempo swing of the album closer and second original on the album, “Africa”. Through embracing dissonance and melodicism, Coltrane conjures a dark and otherworldly tone. Throughout this 22-mins performance, space and dynamics are used to their maximum potential to create a vivid soundscape, making for a stunning delivery.

As the sole recording from Coltrane’s residency there, Evenings At The Village Gate is a true treasure. Given the timeline – this live performance only happened just months ahead of the formation of his classic quartet era – it is a rare look at Coltrane during such a transitional period. Furthermore, it is among only a handful of his live records to feature Dolphy, who complements Coltrane incredibly. The artistry and performance of Coltrane remains among the greatest the world has ever witnessed, and this album only continues to develop his legendary status with yet another performance of his unprecedented musicality and creativity.

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