The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records
This 4-CD set marks the 45th anniversary of Impulse Records and also serves as audio accompaniment to Ashley Kahn's book,The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records.John Coltranewas the first major artist to sign with ABC-Paramount's fledgling subsidiary in 1961 and it was an inspired choice, his rising prominence and adventurous spirit immediately identifying Impulse with a dynamic shift in jazz. With its gatefold album covers and black and orange graphics, Impulse also added some visual panache to the revolution. While Coltrane--represented here by tracks such as "Greensleeves," "Impressions" and a segment from his signatureA Love Supreme--was clearly the label's inspiration, Bob Thiele was one of the great jazz record producers, bent on documenting the best veteran musicians as well as the avant-garde. You hear it in superb tracks here fromEarl Hines,Count BasieandColeman Hawkins, as well as stellar performances by major figures of modern jazz likeArt Blakey,Sonny RollinsandCharles Mingus. There are also plenty of appearances by Coltrane’s associates, likeMcCoy TynerandAlice Coltrane, as well as the revolutionaries that Coltrane and Thiele nurtured, among themArchie Shepp,Albert AylerandPharoah Sanders. It all contributes to a survey of what was most vital in jazz in the 1960s and early '70s that no other single label could manage.--Stuart Broomer