Africa/Brass (Acoustic Sounds Vinyl Series) LP

Africa/Brass, released in 1961 on Impulse! Records, was John Coltrane’s first album for the label and a turning point in his recorded output. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio and produced by Creed Taylor, the project expanded Coltrane’s working quartet into a large ensemble, pairing his searching tenor and soprano saxophone with dense, brass-heavy orchestrations by Cal Massey. The result was a bold, modal canvas that pointed beyond hard bop toward the spiritual and textural explorations that would define his mid-1960s work.

Arrangements by Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner helped shape the album’s distinctive sound, weaving tuba, euphonium, French horns, and more into a powerful backdrop for Coltrane’s improvisations. With key contributions from trumpeters Booker Little and Freddie Hubbard, bassist Reggie Workman, drummer Elvin Jones, and others, Africa/Brass reframed the idea of a “big band” as a vehicle for modal harmony and extended form. Pieces like the 16-minute title track and Coltrane’s reimagining of “Greensleeves” unfold as evolving soundscapes, balancing collective weight with intense individual statements.

Long regarded as one of the most important early Impulse! releases, Africa/Brass announced Coltrane’s arrival on the “house that Trane built” with radical clarity. It opened a new chapter in his relationship with Impulse! — and set the stage for later milestones such as Impressions, Crescent, and A Love Supreme, while standing on its own as a landmark fusion of African-inspired rhythm, orchestral color, and spiritual intensity.

Excluded from sitewide sales/discounts. Limited to 4 per customer.

Tracklist

A    Africa
B1    Greensleeves
B2    Blues Minor