The John Coltrane Quartet – Africa / Brass (1961)

May 29, 2023

Cool, calm yet complex jazz from one of the masters. Well, it’s credited to Coltrane in title but just take a look at the full credits – there are some incredible players on this thing. Please forgive my lack of jazz knowledge but Africa / Brass seems like a chilled mix between the bop worlds and the fusion worlds that would soon overtake in popularity. The songs are long and meandering but the backbones of them are rock solid, allowing those upfront to perhaps wander a bit more freely without worry of losing their way. The A-side track, the sixteen minute “Africa”, is probably the best example of this. Great stuff!