Africa/Brass cover

Africa/Brass

Released

A magical outlier in Coltrane’s discography, this 1961 date features ensembles of as many as 17 players, and arrangements (two basses! four French horns!) that are written to create mood and menace rather than big band slickness. The opening “Africa” is like the moment right before the tiger leaps out of the jungle at you, sustained for a quarter hour, and there’s nothing pastoral about what they do to the English folk tune “Greensleeves”; the album’s final track, “Blues Minor,” deploys the titular brass in a forceful but judicious manner. Mostly it’s a platform for Coltrane to wail, and he does.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Freeflight cover

Freeflight

Ahmad Jamal
Verona Rag cover

Verona Rag

Andrew Hill
Expansion cover

Expansion

Dave Burrell Full Blown Trio
The Clown cover

The Clown

Charles Mingus
Out Front cover

Out Front

Booker Little
Ten cover

Ten

Jason Moran
Do Your Dance! cover

Do Your Dance!

Kenny Garrett
Live at Claudio’s cover

Live at Claudio’s

Pete Magadini, Don Menza