John Coltrane Ascension (Edition I & II)

• 1. Ascension (Pt. I)
• 2. Ascension (Pt. II)
• 3. Ascension (Pt. III)
• 4. Ascension (Pt. IV)

North Carolina saxophonist John Coltrane had already stretched modal jazz to its limits by the mid 60s, though Ascension still landed like a small detonation when it first appeared in 1966. It was recorded with an enormous ensemble including Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Freddie Hubbard and McCoy Tyner, and the session abandons conventional structure for vast collective improvisation, all surging horns, shrieking overtones and turbulent rhythmic movement.

The contrast between the two takes makes this edition especially fascinating. One feels marginally tighter and more concentrated, the other wilder and closer to collapse. Throughout, Coltrane acts less like a traditional bandleader, but the music retains a genuinely overwhelming force.