MVD, will release John Coltrane "So Many Things: The European Tour 1961" 4-Disc Set, March 10, 2015:
"...the music Coltrane made on this trip took audiences to the very cutting edge, leaving many questions unanswered, even for the saxophonists most ardent fans. For some he had taken the fundamentals of modern jazz to a breaking point, thrusting it into 'the realms of higher mathematics'.
"To others, Coltrane was the voice of progress, bravely reasserting the exploratory nature of jazz, daring to push through a process of continual reinvention, taking himself, his fellow players and those who flocked to hear him on an impassioned journey of discovery, night after night.
"The impact of Coltrane and his regular quartet sidemen - pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Elvin Jones - was made doubly controversial by the leaders last-minute decision to add the formidable multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy.
"Playing over 30 concert appearances in under three weeks, the band criss-crossed the continent from France to Finland, taking its message to far larger crowds than could be squeezed into its club sets back in the US.
"These recordings have since acquired almost legendary status and have previously only been available in sporadic fashion, but for the first time ever, this new release collates tapes made by the quintet in Paris, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm, creating a truly sundering anthology of this short-lived band at its peak..."
Newly remastered for optimum sound, with examples of Coltrane's landmark compositions "Naima" and "Impressions", the collection also includes Coltrane's only recording of Victor Young's theme "Delilah", plus the inclusion of a rare 'second house' performance of the 'transformational' anthem "My Favourite Things" taped in Stockholm. The release also includes photographs, concert memorabilia and press clippings, complete with a booklet essay by award-winning Brit saxophonist Simon Spillett.
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