The John Coltrane Quartet - Africa / Brass
John Coltrane – tenor and soprano saxophone [click here to see more vinyl featuring John Coltrane]
McCoy Tyner – piano, arrangements [click here to see more vinyl featuring McCoy Tyner]
Elvin Jones – drums [click here to see more vinyl featuring Elvin Jones]
Reggie Workman, Art Davis – bass
Eric Dolphy – arrangements, alto saxophone, flute [click here to see more vinyl featuring Eric Dolphy]
Large ensemble of 21 musicians in total, including French horns, euphonium and tubas
1 LP, tip-on gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12’’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings (QRP)
Label : Impulse - Acoustic Sounds Series
Original Label : Impulse !
Recorded in 1961 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder
Produced by Bob Thiele
Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab
Series supervised by Chad Kassem
Originally released in 1961
Reissued in 2026
Tracks:
Side A:
- Africa
Side B:
- Greensleeves
- Blues Minor
Reviews:
“John Coltrane's debut for the Impulse label was a bit unusual, for the great tenor and his quartet were joined by a medium-sized backup group on Eric Dolphy arrangements of "Africa," "Greensleeves," and "Blues Minor." "Africa" in particular is quite memorable although Coltrane would not pursue any further recordings in this direction in the future, making this a change of pace in his discography.” AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4.5 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.58 / 5