JOHN COLTRANE w/ARCHIE SHEPP,FREDDIE HUBBARD ASCENSION RARE ORIG '65 IMPULSE LP

$

100

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·       JOHN COLTRANE with FREDDIE HUBBARD, ARCHIE SHEPP, ELVIN JONES, PHAROAH SANDERS, McCOY TYNER AND JIMMY GARRISON - ASCENSION - ORIGINAL  1965 IMPULSE RECORDS STEREO LP AS-95

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       THIS IS  "EDITION 2"  VERSION OF THE ALBUM. "EDITION 1"  IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VERSION OF THE ALBUM FROM THE "EDITION 2" VERSION (PLEASE NOTE: 'EDITION 1' VERSION CAN ONLY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE ABSENCE OF ANY MARKINGS IN THE TRAIL-OFF VINUL; THE “EDITION 2" VERSION HAS A SPECIFIC “EDITION 2” MACHINE STAMP IN THE TRAIL-OFF VINYL).

·       The solo orders differ slightly between the takes and Edition II features no drum solo by Elvin Jones.

·       Edition II

·           (Opening Ensemble)

·           Coltrane solo (3:10–5:48)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Johnson solo (7:45–9:30)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Sanders solo (11:55–14:25)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Hubbard solo (15:40–17:40)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Tchicai solo (18:50–20:00)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Shepp solo (21:10–24:10)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Brown solo (25:10–27:16)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Tyner solo (29:55–33:26)

·           Davis and Garrison duet (33:26–35:50)

·           (Concluding Ensemble)

·       Edition I

·           (Opening Ensemble)

·           Coltrane solo (4:05–6:05)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Johnson solo (7:58–10:07)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Sanders solo (11:15–13:30)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Hubbard solo (14:53–17:50)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Shepp solo (18:55–21:40)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Tchicai solo (23:11–24:56)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Brown solo (26:23–28:31)

·           (Ensemble)

·           Tyner solo (29:39–31:36)

·           Davis and Garrison duet (31:36–33:30)

·           Jones solo (33:30–33:55)

·           (Concluding Ensemble

·       The record has a Rudy Van Gelder’s name or  his initials (RVG) clearly stamped or hand-etched in the trail-off vinyl (dead wax)

·       ORIGINAL ORANGE AND BLACK IMPULSE LABEL

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       ORIGINAL GATEFOLD COVER, MADE OF THICK CARDBOARD (AMERICAN STYLE) 

·       ORIGINAL BACK COVER WITH A BRIEF QUOTE LeROI JONES a/k/a AMIRI BARAKA, THE POET LAUREATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND A FREE JAZZ RADICAL IN HIS OWN RIGHT.

·       ORIGINAL LAMINATED COVER

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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First: the factual: This is the single most radical, revolutionary and, frankly, radical album in the history of Jazz; when the Ascension came out, it caused an uproar and upheaval of galactic proportions, and after only a single spin on a turntable, one can understand why: simply put, this is the most astonishing one-way departure from all existing forms and norms, tonal and atonal structures, conventions and dogmas known to Jazz. Think of this as Coltrane taking traditional Jazz to the guillotine and waving its detached head thereafter. Almost half a century later, it is still too radical and revolutionary for some narrow minds.

Second, the obvious: Yes, darn it, THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ENTRY in the Free Jazz and Avant-Garde cannon of  Jazz. Always was, always will be (eat your envious hearts out, Peter Brötzmann and Anthony Braxton!); essentially, Free Jazz is split into two periods: before and after Ascension. The “before” is formative, amorphous and overly timid (Dolphy notwithstanding), and “after” is all but irrelevant and predictable. Ascension is an absolute primordial form, an archetype and a culmination of the genre, all rolled into one; a statement truly unlike any other..

Third: the personal:  I was initially, to put it mildly, unimpressed - actually: repulsed - by Ascension. My first reaction to Ascension (about 20 years ago) was: what is this ungodly piece of unlistenable noise that I am never, ever, ever, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever going to place on my turntable again, how the holy cr*p did I end up buying it, where can I get a refund and can I sue the manufacturer and/or the distributor and/or the retailer for inflicted torture and mental anguish, ear pain and migraine that just would not end? But my aversion to the album soon ended. Read on...

Fourth: the historical. Obviously, this is not your swing-and-dance-and-then-let's-go-make-love Jazz. This is a music of serious dissent and discontent, opposition to the ruling class, violent outburst of revolt, scream of the oppressed, holler of the spiritual seeker, the bloody assassination of the cheap and vulgar popular taste in broad daylight, you name it. It needs to be placed in the proper socio-historical context to be understood and appreciated, and the context was the murder of Malcolm X and first signs of the weakening (read: co-opting, buying, bullying and police-wiring) of the Civil Rights Movement. No wonder the album was released just as the first large contingent of US troops was disembarking in Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident. There was a war looming, and Ascension is all about war: the inner war, the social war, the class war, the war of the generations and the styles, the war of the instruments, the war with the listener, the undeclared war on black people (mind you, the year was 1965, the annus horribilis of the Watts Riots) and the war on petit- (mostly White Anglo-Saxon middle-class) bourgoisie. Yes, folks, you are entering a war zone here. May I suggest a full combat gear before you put the stylus on the disc?

And while still at # 4: · AN HONORARY MENTION GOES TO A BRIEF QUOTE ON THE BACK COVER BY THE LATE, GREAT LeROI JONES a/k/a AMIRI BARAKA, THE LAST POET LAUREATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND A FREE JAZZ BLACK POWER ANARCHIST-RADICAL IN HIS OWN RIGHT.

Fifth: the medical: Coltrane was exactly two years away from his death when this was recorded. I have an eerie feeling that he had sensed what was coming, and that this foreboding sense of chaos and utter nothingness that permeates the album was by no means a coincidence. We are talking about a major-league premonition here. This, more than anything else that is to follow, is truly John Coltrane’s Last Will and Testament. And what a Testament it is!

Sixth : technical: I must confess that I never had much patience (or willingness to explore) the differences between Edition I and Edition II . Personally, the two editions are so alike that it would require a significant effort to tell them apart, which would seriously and needlessly distract from the listening experience. I like Edition I a little better. But again, the difference is entirely ephemeral and, in my not-so-humble opinion, unworthy of focusing on. Whichever version you end up having, you have a classic, and a winner.

Seventh and (I promise), the last. This is a difficult, abrasive, confrontational and demanding album, and those who have serious issues with it can certainly be excused. Those who have lost patience with it can be excused, too. Those who can only play bits and pieces of it at a time can most definitely be pardoned. But, for all its darkness, cacophony and sonic agony, Ascension still holds up amazingly well today,  exactly half century after it was recorded, and for those willing to give it a chance – the first or the umpteenth – it still carries a world of spiritual joy and catharsis. I would say, give it a(nother) chance, even if, at times, you feel entirely violated and near-insulted by it. For, beyond the burning, smoldering and noxious Gates of Hell Ascending awaits the Garden of Paradise.

***

Ascension 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, Ascension throws most rules right out the window with complete freedom from the groove and strikingly abrasive sheets of horn interplay. Recorded 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. The comparison that is immediately realized is Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz of five years previous. However, it should be known that Ascension 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. Timed 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. Coltrane 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, Ascension 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.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY JACK L.V. ISLES, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

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CONDITION:

RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS EXCELLENT. This is one of those albums that are somewhat difficult to grade. It is somewhere between VG++ and NEAR MINT, just a notch below NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions ARE visible, but they are extremely shallow, superficial  and only moderately visually distracting (nothing significant).For the most part, the vinyl looks impeccable without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)          The record has a ►Rudy Van Gelder name, or  his initials (RVG) stamped or hand-etched in the trail-off vinyl (dead wax). On SOME  Jazz labels (Blue Note, Savoy, Regent, Prestige, Impulse, Verve…) this stamp signifies highly professional masterings either done by - or  personally authorized by - the legendary engineer himself.

(c)           The record comes in the original stock inner sleeve.

(d)          The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(e)           Stereo  pressing of this title is much rarer, and by far more preferable to its mono  counterpart. The mix is more graphic, the sound resolution more precise, and the channel separation (which does not exist on mono version) adds a whole new dimension to the music. Also, the stereo mixes are (by definition) somewhat different than on the mono version. We estimate that mono copies of this album outnumber stereo copies  by a ratio of at least 3:1.

(f)            Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

·       COVER (THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, LAMINATED, GLOSSY COVER):

THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD+++.

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-         Cover shows some light yellowing on both sides, apparently from aging  (nothing significant).  Yellowing is also noted on the INSIDE gatefold

-         Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine  (nothing significant)

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

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FINE (BUT IMPORTANT!) PRINT

 (1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year of the original release,  NOT necessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of the pressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters). (2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar or item specifics box alone; instead, please read the entire description and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NO order cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under any circumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4) We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you need to do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to provide matrix-, stamper- or other pressing  information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require this information, please contact us well before the final day of the auction. (6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shipping and Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7)  All Paypal payments must be made from confirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresses will be honored  (8) Absolutely NO partial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, please return it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilized people can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest; if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBay feedback, which speaks for itself  (10) All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be - solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner;  please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language (attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-death sarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller will accommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible and agreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever;  Thank You & Good Night!

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