{"product_id":"john-coltrane-ascension-edition-i-ii-verve-vault-reissue","title":"John Coltrane - Ascension: Edition I \u0026 II (Verve Vault Reissue)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e, released in 1966 on Impulse! Records, stands as one of John Coltrane’s most radical and influential works. Subtitled “Edition I \u0026amp; II” to reflect the two complete takes recorded at the session—and presented together on LP for the first time—the piece is a nearly 40-minute large-ensemble performance marking Coltrane’s decisive embrace of the avant-garde.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecorded on June 28, 1965, at Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio and produced by Bob Thiele, the session assembled an expanded ensemble of eleven musicians. Alongside Coltrane’s tenor saxophone are trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Dewey Johnson; saxophonists Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown, John Tchicai, and Archie Shepp; pianist McCoy Tyner; bassists Art Davis and Jimmy Garrison; and drummer Elvin Jones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe music alternates between densely textured collective improvisation and extended solo statements, conjuring a hurricane of violent, searching sound. Initially controversial for its intensity and freedom, \u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e has since come to be recognized as a landmark of modern jazz and a defining statement of the emerging free-jazz movement. Presenting both takes together highlights the organic, ever-changing character of the performance and affirms its enduring place in Coltrane’s artistic legacy. — (via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.ververecords.com\/products\/john-coltrane-ascension-edition-i-ii-verve-vault-series-lp?_pos=1\u0026amp;_sid=9872b55db\u0026amp;_ss=r\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eLabel\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e is the single recording that placed John Coltrane firmly into the avant-garde. Whereas, prior to 1965, Coltrane could be heard playing in an avant vein with stretched-out solos, atonality, and a seemingly free design to the beat, \u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e throws most rules right out the window with complete freedom from the groove and strikingly abrasive sheets of horn interplay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecorded with three tenors (Trane, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp), two altos (Marion Brown, John Tchicai), two trumpet players (Freddie Hubbard, Dewey Johnson), two bassists (Art Davis, Jimmy Garrison), the lone McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on the drums, this large group is both relentless and soulful simultaneously. While there are segments where the ensemble plays discordant and abrasive skronks, these are usually segues into intriguing blues-based solos from each member. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe comparison that is immediately realized is Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz of five years previous. However, it should be known that \u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e certainly carries its own weight, and in a strange sense makes Coleman's foray a passive adventure - mostly due to an updated sonic quality (à la Bob Thiele) and also Trane's greater sense of passionate spiritualism. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTimed at around 40 minutes, this can be a difficult listen at first, but with a patient ear and an appreciation for the finer things in life, the reward is a greater understanding of the personal path that the artist was on at that particular time in his development. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColtrane was always on an unceasing mission for personal expansion through the mouthpiece of his horn, but by the time of this recording he had begun to reach the level of \"elder statesman\" and to find other voices (Shepp, Sanders, and Marion Brown) to propel and expand his sounds and emotions. Therefore, \u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e reflects more of an event rather than just a jazz record and should be sought out by either experienced jazz appreciators or other open-minded listeners, but not by unsuspecting bystanders. — (via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/ascension-mw0000198923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eAllMusic\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e remains Coltrane’s most controversial work, even though there are more difficult pieces in his canon, like Interstellar Space. Listening to it today, the album doesn’t sound quite so dauntingly apocalyptic as it must have sounded to listeners on its release in 1966. Perhaps because it inspired and influenced other musicians who followed in Coltrane’s wake, 21st-century ears have become more attuned to its otherworldly language. Even so, immersing yourself in it can feel like the onset of an out-of-body experience, taking you on a journey to a higher state of being. Whereas A Love Supreme was Coltrane’s intimate, personal communion with the divine creator, \u003cem\u003eAscension\u003c\/em\u003e is a mind-blowing sonic journey into transcendental space, as if Coltrane was attempting astral projection. 60 years on, love it or loathe it, it’s still one helluva ride. — (via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/recordcollectormag.com\/reviews\/john-coltrane-ascension-editions-i-and-ii-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eRecord Collector\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e— 2LP pressed on 180g black vinyl\u003cbr\u003e— Housed in matte gatefold sleeve\u003cbr\u003e— Mastered from analog tapes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" data-testid=\"embed-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/2TtadFmrnrFZecasfj0p4t?utm_source=generator\u0026amp;si=9ca424ed3c724b55\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e↓\u003cbr\u003eLabel: Impulse! \/ Verve \/ UMe\u003cbr\u003eFormat: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered\u003cbr\u003eReissued: 2026 \/ Originally Released: 1966\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Jazz\u003cbr\u003eStyle: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation, Post Bop\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFile under: Jazz - John Coltrane\u003cbr\u003e⦿\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Verve \/ Impulse!","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48068601118878,"sku":"199957117982","price":65.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/5434\/3838\/files\/John-Coltrane_Ascension-I-II_Verve-Vault-Vinyl_s521735_o8027950_a626722_v13842082.jpg?v=1785478316","url":"https:\/\/theanalogvault.mom\/products\/john-coltrane-ascension-edition-i-ii-verve-vault-reissue","provider":"The Analog Vault","version":"1.0","type":"link"}