''Live in Antibes'' is a live album by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

musician

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and rai ...

that was released in 1988 on the France's Concert label.

Background

''Live in Antibes'' was recorded in the middle of one of Coltrane's busiest summers. On June 28, 1965, he recorded the groundbreaking album '' Ascension'', followed by ''

New Thing at Newport ''New Thing at Newport'' is a 1965 live album featuring two separate sets from that year's Newport Jazz Festival by tenor saxophonists John Coltrane and Archie Shepp. It was recorded four days after the recording session for Coltrane's album ' ...

'' four days later. This was followed by a two-week double bill with

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

's quartet at the

Village Gate The Village Gate was a nightclub at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village, New York. Art D'Lugoff opened the club in 1958, on the ground floor and basement of 160 Bleecker Street. The large 1896 Chicago School structur ...

from July 6–18. Coltrane and his quartet then embarked on a one-week tour of Europe, playing at the sixth International Jazz Festival at

Juan-les-Pins Juan-les-Pins (; oc, Joan dei Pins) is a town in the commune of Antibes in the Alpes-Maritimes department in Southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera, it is situated between Nice and Cannes, to the southwest of Nice Côte d'Azur Airpo ...

Antibes, France Antibes (, also , ; oc, label=Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France, on the Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is in the commune of Antibes and the Soph ...

on July 26 and 27, followed by a concert at the

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

in Paris on July 28, and winding up with a performance at a jazz festival in Comblain-la-Tour, Belgium on August 1. The July 26 concert, on which Coltrane shared billing with

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States, McGriff started playing pi ...

, featured a live performance of ''

A Love Supreme ''A Love Supreme'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. He recorded it in one session on December 9, 1964, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Gar ...

'', a 48-minute version which took up the entire program. (A recording of this concert appears on the 2002 Deluxe Edition and the 2015 Super Deluxe Edition of ''A Love Supreme''.) The following day, at the request of the festival, Coltrane performed material that was more familiar to the audience. The versions of "Naima", "Blue Valse" and "My Favorite Things" on ''Live in Antibes'' were recorded that day. The remaining tracks, "Impressions" and "Afro-Blue", were recorded at the July 28 concert in Paris. ("Blue Valse" is actually a quartet version of "Ascension", and was mis-titled due to a miscommunication with concert personnel.) Some of the music recorded in France during the tour was also released in 1974 on ''

Live in Paris ''Live in Paris'' may refer to: Albums * ''Live in Paris'' (Art Ensemble of Chicago album) * ''Live in Paris'' (John Coltrane album) * ''Live in Paris'' (Jemeel Moondoc album) *'' Live in Paris 1975'', an album by Deep Purple * ''Live in Paris+'' ( ...

''. The July–August 1965 tour marked Coltrane's last appearance in Europe. On the tour, during breaks, Coltrane frequently "remained... in his hotel room, practicing as usual, playing along to a tape of an lbertAyler concert."

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

, Ron Wynn wrote: "Vital, transitional John Coltrane with the quartet near its end; this 1965 Antibes concert may have featured familiar material ('Naima,' 'My Favorite Things,' 'Afro Blue,' and 'Impressions' are among the five selections), but that is the only thing that linked it with the ensemble's past offerings. Coltrane's tenor is frenetic, as he turns song structure inside out, honks, soars, and explores, seeking fresh directions and alternative statements within each blistering solo. Likewise, this version of 'My Favorite Things' has an edgy, unfulfilled quality, while even 'Naima' is more inquisitive than satisfying. While it's still incredible, pivotal music, there is also the realization that change was near and inevitable." The authors of the ''

Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

'' commented: "the sound quality is... rather poor, but the performances are very good indeed."

Track listing

#"Presentation" – 0:50 #"

Naima "Naima" ( ) is a jazz ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album '' Giant Steps'', and it became one of his first well-known works. History Co ...

" – 6:55 #"Blue Valse" – 15:00 #"

My Favorite Things My Favorite Things may refer to: * "My Favorite Things" (song), from the 1959 musical ''The Sound of Music'' * ''My Favorite Things'' (John Coltrane album), 1961 * ''My Favorite Things'' (Dave Brubeck album), 1965 * ''My Favorite Things'' (Shiori T ...

" – 17:20 #"Impressions" – 16:00 #"Afro Blue" – 10:30 Tracks 1, 2, 3, and 4 were recorded on July 27, 1965 at the Antibes Jazz Festival. Tracks 5 and 6 were recorded on July 28, 1965 at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, France.

Personnel

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tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, so ...

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gr ...

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piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

Jimmy Garrison James Emory Garrison (March 3, 1934 – April 7, 1976) was an American jazz double bassist. He is best remembered for his association with John Coltrane from 1961 to 1967. Career Garrison was raised in both Miami and Philadelphia where he l ...

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double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebra ...

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drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Live In Antibes John Coltrane live albums 1965 live albums Live hard bop albums Albums recorded at Jazz à Juan