Spritual Music

The World According to John Coltrane (1990) - Palmer, Byron

Focusing on his middle period with his original quartet (Elvin Jones on drums, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass), the World According to JC is still a satisfying doc for music alone. There are some uninterrupted long takes of My Favorite Things and some others. But it also shows his interests in music from different culture that shaped his later, post-Miles Quintet innovative period - India, Africa and shows interests in spiritual side of music. There's no info on his personal life except for his religious North Carolinian upbringing to Navy band player. The hodgepodge interviews are informative but pretty bare boned. But I'm not complaining. The music is glorious. As I am waiting for Sam Pollard's A Love Supreme: A Portrait of John Coltrane in 4 Parts to finish up, this will do for now.

Here is The World According to JC in its entirety on youtube:

Coltrane's "I Want to Talk About You"

I recently broke down and got a small turntable for the first time. I've been foraging people's garbage for old records ever since, like an old Chinese lady collecting soda cans in the middle of the night. I got this rare record by John Coltrane which was put out posthumously. On one side it's 17 minute live version of one my favorite things of all time, My Favorite Things. But what wowed me was his rendition of I Want to Talk About You, taken from Live at Birdland record. Listening to the last 3 minute solo by Coltrane is one of the most thrilling experience I've had in a while.

I took some pictures of the record: