The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records

[pasta]

40 pages in, absolutely a MASTERPIECE already!

[ghost of miles]

I'm going to start on it as soon as I finish Gennari's BLOWIN' HOT & COOL--anticipating a good read.

[Soul Stream]

is this out already?

[jazzbo]

When I get around to this I hope I like it more than his previous two "Makings of" books. I liked the material in those for the most part, but something about his writing just makes me want to stop reading.

[Christiern]

I'm not so sure that the book's title is fair. That makes me wonder about what's inside. I will read and return to this thread.

[sidewinder]

I'm tempted to pre-order this one. It has yet to come out in the shops in the UK.

[Head Man]

With the good exchange rate now, it's probably cheaper to order it directly from Amazon.com.

[garthsj]

40 pages in, absolutely a MASTERPIECE already!

My copy arrived today ... and taking some valuable time away from my own writing chores, I gave it a quick once-over. The book is very "user-friendly" and handsomely produced -- lots of pictues and illustrative material (notes, album covers, lead sheets, etc.) that interests the historian in me. It does not contain the kind of in-depth analysis of the music that some might wish for, but as an institutional history I think that Kahn has, once again, performed yeoman service. I have found his previous books to be very insightful, and his comments on NPR always capture my interest, even when he is dealing with more pop subjects.

(On a very personal note, I am must confess a certain amount of professional jealousy here ... this is the kind of subject I should be writing about instead of my current impossible attempt to make some sense of television's impact on American society!)

Edited June 13, 2006 by garthsj

[Uncle Skid]

Any opinions on the "companion" 4-disc set? I usually stay away from compilations like this (only because I eventually discover that I want all of the individual releases), but there's a whole bunch of music I haven't heard on these four discs:

Disc 1

1. Where Flamingos Fly / Gil Evans 5:14

2. Stolen Moments / Oliver Nelson 8:48

3. Greensleeves / John Coltrane 10:00

4. Alamode / Art Blakey 6:49

5. Honeysuckle Rose / Benny Carter 3:53

6. Trey of Hearts / Count Basie 3:45

7. Samba Para Bean / Coleman Hawkins 5:28

8. Too Young to Go Steady / John Coltrane 4:24

9.Snap Crackle / Roy Haynes 4:13

10. Chocolate Shake / Freddie Hubbard 3:59

11. Impressions / John Coltrane 4:36

12. Theme for Lester Young (Aka "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat") / Charles Mingus 5:50

Disc 2

1. My One and Only Love / Johnny Hartman 4:57

2. Salt and Pepper / Sonny Stitt 7:52

3. Forest Flower - Sunrise/Forest Flower - Sunset / Chico Hamilton 10:37

4. T 'N' a Blues / McCoy Tyner 4:06

5. Someone to Watch Over Me / Ben Webster 4:31

6. Sister Mamie / Yusef Lateef 5:29

7. A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement / John Coltrane 7:45

8. Rapid Shave / Shirley Scott 8:30

9. Los Olvidados / John Coltrane 8:56

10. Ask Me Now! / Pee Wee Russell 2:28

Disc 3

1. Black and Tan Fantasy / Earl Hines 5:14

2. Alfie's Theme / Sonny Rollins 9:45

3. Spanish Rice / Chico O'Farrill 2:47

4. Mama Too Tight / Archie Shepp 5:25

5. Gypsy Queen / Gabor Szabo 5:14

6. Larry of Arabia / Chico Hamilton 5:12

7. Our Prayer / Albert Ayler 4:48

8. Offering / John Coltrane 8:27

9. Journey in Satchidananda / Alice Coltrane 6:37

10. War Orphans / Charlie Haden 6:42

Disc 4

1. Stolen Moments / John Coltrane 6:30

2. The Creator Has a Master Plan / Pharoah Sanders 32:48

3. India / Gato Barbieri 8:57

4. The Rich (And the Poor) / Keith Jarrett 9:26

5. Hard Work / John Coltrane 6:59

6. Walk With Me / Alice Coltrane 7:49

[RDK]

Impressed by that track listing!

[garthsj]

Any opinions on the "companion" 4-disc set? I usually stay away from compilations like this (only because I eventually discover that I want all of the individual releases), but there's a whole bunch of music I haven't heard on these four discs:

Disc 1

1. Where Flamingos Fly / Gil Evans 5:14

2. Stolen Moments / Oliver Nelson 8:48

3. Greensleeves / John Coltrane 10:00

4. Alamode / Art Blakey 6:49

5. Honeysuckle Rose / Benny Carter 3:53

6. Trey of Hearts / Count Basie 3:45

7. Samba Para Bean / Coleman Hawkins 5:28

8. Too Young to Go Steady / John Coltrane 4:24

9.Snap Crackle / Roy Haynes 4:13

10. Chocolate Shake / Freddie Hubbard 3:59

11. Impressions / John Coltrane 4:36

12. Theme for Lester Young (Aka "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat") / Charles Mingus 5:50

Disc 2

1. My One and Only Love / Johnny Hartman 4:57

2. Salt and Pepper / Sonny Stitt 7:52

3. Forest Flower - Sunrise/Forest Flower - Sunset / Chico Hamilton 10:37

4. T 'N' a Blues / McCoy Tyner 4:06

5. Someone to Watch Over Me / Ben Webster 4:31

6. Sister Mamie / Yusef Lateef 5:29

7. A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement / John Coltrane 7:45

8. Rapid Shave / Shirley Scott 8:30

9. Los Olvidados / John Coltrane 8:56

10. Ask Me Now! / Pee Wee Russell 2:28

Disc 3

1. Black and Tan Fantasy / Earl Hines 5:14

2. Alfie's Theme / Sonny Rollins 9:45

3. Spanish Rice / Chico O'Farrill 2:47

4. Mama Too Tight / Archie Shepp 5:25

5. Gypsy Queen / Gabor Szabo 5:14

6. Larry of Arabia / Chico Hamilton 5:12

7. Our Prayer / Albert Ayler 4:48

8. Offering / John Coltrane 8:27

9. Journey in Satchidananda / Alice Coltrane 6:37

10. War Orphans / Charlie Haden 6:42

Disc 4

1. Stolen Moments / John Coltrane 6:30

2. The Creator Has a Master Plan / Pharoah Sanders 32:48

3. India / Gato Barbieri 8:57

4. The Rich (And the Poor) / Keith Jarrett 9:26

5. Hard Work / John Coltrane 6:59

6. Walk With Me / Alice Coltrane 7:49

In the mid-sixties I was doing a "closed circuit" jazz radio program at the University of Toronto, with a listenership of probably 48 people. However, I used this fact to convince the Canadian company pressing Impulse (Sparton Records) to send me all of their new releases. So these orange and black LPs kept coming, and kept coming. I must have had the entire catalog issued before 1968! While these were all "original pressings" I found that when it came time to sell them off that the Canadian pressings did not have the same value as the U.S. versions (although IMHO they were sonically superior), nevertheless they did go quickly. My point -- I was amazed at the variety of the music that Impulse put out, and not all of it was "great" ... a good example would be Chico O'Farrell - Clark Terry "Spanish Rice" ... but then there were real keepers like the Pee Wee Russell, Oliver Nelsons, and the first few Chico Hamilton albums ... and. of course, the early Coltranes. All of this is being brought home to me as I read Ashley Kahn's book. It also makes me want to revisit some of those, such as the Earl Hines.

[ghost of miles]

Are those Coltrane tracks on disc 4 previously unreleased? "Stolen Moments"--he did a version of that?

[Guy Berger]

Are those Coltrane tracks on disc 4 previously unreleased? "Stolen Moments"--he did a version of that?

I'm guessing that's a screw-up. I believe "Hard Work" is John Handy's hit. No clue who does the late 60s "Stolen Moments".

Guy

[ghost of miles]

Are those Coltrane tracks on disc 4 previously unreleased? "Stolen Moments"--he did a version of that?

I'm guessing that's a screw-up. I believe "Hard Work" is John Handy's hit. No clue who does the late 60s "Stolen Moments".

Guy

Thanks--though you never know what's going to fall out of the closet and clunk Ravi on the head.

[Uncle Skid]

Are those Coltrane tracks on disc 4 previously unreleased? "Stolen Moments"--he did a version of that?

I'm guessing that's a screw-up. I believe "Hard Work" is John Handy's hit. No clue who does the late 60s "Stolen Moments".

There is also a single "Best of Impulse Records" CD that has those tracks (correctly) listed as "Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson" and "Hard Work - John Handy".

Interestingly, this single CD is available from CD Universe for $3.49 (list price is $4.98).

[DatDere]

The other Stolen Moments version on the 4 disc set is by Ahmad Jamal (from 'The Awakening' LP on Impulse), the John Coltrane listing is a mistake.

[Nate Dorward]

A discussion of the book by the pianist & Shandean Robert W Getz here.

[Face of the Bass]

I picked this book up on a whim last week and have been extremely impressed with it so far, about 50 pages in. The design and layout of the book are worth the price alone, but it also contains a lot of very interesting nuggets and anecdotes about the music, as well as the personalities behind the label. The best jazz book I've come across in the past couple years.

[sheldonm]

Are those Coltrane tracks on disc 4 previously unreleased? "Stolen Moments"--he did a version of that?

I'm guessing that's a screw-up. I believe "Hard Work" is John Handy's hit. No clue who does the late 60s "Stolen Moments".

There is also a single "Best of Impulse Records" CD that has those tracks (correctly) listed as "Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson" and "Hard Work - John Handy".

Interestingly, this single CD is available from CD Universe for $3.49 (list price is $4.98).

...available at Borders as well.....but $4.98.

m~

[Simon Weil]

40 pages in, absolutely a MASTERPIECE already!

My copy arrived today ... and taking some valuable time away from my own writing chores, I gave it a quick once-over. The book is very "user-friendly" and handsomely produced -- lots of pictues and illustrative material (notes, album covers, lead sheets, etc.) that interests the historian in me. It does not contain the kind of in-depth analysis of the music that some might wish for, but as an institutional history I think that Kahn has, once again, performed yeoman service. I have found his previous books to be very insightful, and his comments on NPR always capture my interest, even when he is dealing with more pop subjects.

Well, I think the intent of his previous books was more or less "pure enjoyment for your average Jazz listener". There's no edge to these books - which there was to the original albums.

Celebratory.

Simon Weil

Edited June 24, 2006 by Simon Weil

[Enterprise Server]

Just picked it up. Unfortuntely, I have three other books in front of it. But it looks pretty good from what I have seen so far.

[montg]

npr feature on the book here.

nprjazz.org

[clifford_thornton]

I thought "Los Olivdados" was a Shepp tune, from Fire Music.

[ep1str0phy]

The other Stolen Moments version on the 4 disc set is by Ahmad Jamal (from 'The Awakening' LP on Impulse), the John Coltrane listing is a mistake.

Lovely treatment, IMO (the Jamal version, that is).

[Chalupa]

Here's an announcement for the Philly area board members.

Thursday, September 28 | 6pm

The House That Trane Built

with

Ashley Kahn

+ Carl Grubbs, saxophone

Kelly Writers House

University of Pennsylvania

3805 Locust Walk

Free Admission

Event Description:

Celebrating the release of “The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records” by Ashley Kahn

Published by W. W. Norton & Co, this book recounts in layman-friendly terms the full story of this unusual and fascinating company, tracing its near two-decade arc of artistic triumphs and unlikely marketing coups. Leaning on extensive archival research and interviews with well over fifty musicians, industry executives and producers, The House That Trane Built also features over a hundred lavish illustrations, as well as thirty-six album profiles detailing the inside stories of some of the most enduring jazz recordings of all time.

Ashley Kahn is an award-winning journalist, radio/TV producer, author of The House That Trane Built (Norton), A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album (Viking/Penguin), and Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece (Da Capo Press). He has garnered two ASCAP/Ralph J. Gleason awards and a Grammy nomination for his liner notes to a number of historic music collections. In addition, he is director/producer of the documentary Made in Heaven: The Story of Miles Davis's Kind of Blue (Sony Music), a cultural essayist for National Public Radio's Morning Edition, held the position of music editor at VH1, and was primary editor of Rolling Stone: The Seventies (Little,Brown). His byline continues to appear in such publications as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, TV Guide, New York Observer, New York Newsday, JazzTimes, MOJO (UK), The Guardian (UK), Jazz (France), GQ (Japan). He also served as a tour manager with Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Debbie Harry & the Jazz Passengers, and many other music groups.

Carl Grubbs alto, soprano and tenor saxophonist, is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He received early training from John Coltrane, who was married to his cousin, Naima. Through his family he was close to many of the history-making musicians of the 1950’s and 60’s. He was a guest soloist at the Philadelphia performance of Reggie Workman’s current project "African Brass", a tribute to John Coltrane. Carl’s career can best be described as one of diversity; composer, performer, teacher, leader, recording artist and presenter. With his late brother, Earl Grubbs he formed the Visitors, a quintet that recorded for Muse record label in the early 1970’s. Carl is a former member of the Julius Hemphill Saxophone Sextet; this group toured the United States and Europe performing two productions; Hemphill’s Long Tongues: A Saxophone Opera and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Production, Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin: The Promised Land.