Track listing
- A1 Transition 15:29
- A2 Dear Lord 5:34
- B Suite 21:18
- Prayer and Meditation: Day
- Peace and After
- Prayer and Meditation: Evening
- Affirmation
- Prayer and Meditation: 4 A.M.
- Total length: 42:21
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9 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Transition [p] 33 rpm, Gatefold
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Transition Abridged, Bonus Tracks, Remastered
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Transition Abridged, Bonus Tracks, Remastered
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Transition Bonus Tracks, Remastered1998 CD C&C089
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Transition CD Sized Album Replica, Gatefold, Remastered
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Transition Originals Remastered
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Transition SHM
15 Reviews
Right out of the gate the title track lets you know it means business – things start intense and build from there over the track’s 15 ½ minutes into the screechy end of the tenor’s range, which I love but turns some people off to this music. As with everything of this era of Trane’s famous quartet, these guys are totally in synch with each other – they’ve got a perfect understanding of where they – collectively – are moving with each piece. So if they come right out with “Transition” and knock you into a daze, “Welcome” will be a nice relief. They’re still taking things seriously, but they’re also taking them a little more slowly, giving some breathing room. Next up is the 21+ minute “Suite,” which moves through five segments that to me just sound like five solo sections, but then I’m not in charge of naming these things. I think it’s a fine slice of late quartet-dom, but not as programmatically strong as the suites he’d begin organizing later on this year of their development, even if the interplay is top-notch. But things get brighter in the close-out with “Vigil,” a superb duet between Trane and the mighty Elvin Jones that for close to 10 minutes simply burns – here is where the roles Tyner and Garrison play in the band start to become undermined; probably not a conscious move on Trane’s part, simply a piece of the transition he speaks of as he moves from one thing to the next in his development.
Please note that this review treats the CD as though it were how the album was originally released and/or intended, though I am well aware that it consists of tracks added to and/or omitted from the original posthumous issue. But the recording sessions are close enough to each other that they can be considered very closely related and the sequencing of the CD is extremely well-done, creating perhaps more substance than was meant with the music, though obviously it does not fully obscure its somewhat fragmentary nature.
Please note that this review treats the CD as though it were how the album was originally released and/or intended, though I am well aware that it consists of tracks added to and/or omitted from the original posthumous issue. But the recording sessions are close enough to each other that they can be considered very closely related and the sequencing of the CD is extremely well-done, creating perhaps more substance than was meant with the music, though obviously it does not fully obscure its somewhat fragmentary nature.
Published
GRD-124 CD (1993)
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Inexplicably, the GRP CD edition omits "Dear Lord", easily the best track on the original album, and adds "Welcome" and "Vigil" from Kulu Se Mama. Someone wasn't thinking clearly when they assembled this CD. Avoid.
Published
GRD-124 CD (1993)
Good. Solid. Enjoyable. Coltrane.
I don't really have a whole bunch to say about this record. It's good, it's solid, it's enjoyable, it's what you expect from Coltrane. Even for avant-garde jazz, it's still pretty enjoyable. Not recommended for a first time Coltrane listener, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
My favorite track is "Dear Lord". Quite honestly it's just the most enjoyable to listen to and best sounding. "Transition" and "Suite" are solid also.
Mid 7/10
Published
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A1
Transition
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A2
Dear Lord
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B
Suite
Transition
“Dear Lord” gets underrated because it’s not more of the “wooo crazy waaacky” Coltrane that gets the most appreciation, but it’s easily the best part of this already good album for me. It’s a soothing ballad that really touches on the deep religion that makes and breaks the effect of his music from around the mid ‘60s.
The rest of these tracks take on the divine flourishes of A Love Supreme, but without such a strong vision so as to make them anywhere near as impactful; rather, they sound like what you’d expect, and I don’t find this period of Coltrane enough to guarantee a masterpiece with that. Nonetheless, their busy nature keeps them interesting, and the LP’s transitional nature means that it’s worth hearing regardless.
Tyner plays like normal, which is a good thing; the other two I wouldn’t have recognised based purely on prior Quartet works, but it’s nice to hear them different. Jimmy Garrison busts out a satisfying bass solo in the middle of the closer, and that brought me back to why I love jazz on a simpler level. So maybe I’m never gonna understand the overarching vibe that was intended, at least on here.
7/10
Published
1965 was one of John Coltrane's most prolific years when it came to recording music; the previous year had him recording A Love Supreme, which would go on to become his magnum opus in many people's eyes, but he ultimately produced very few studio recordings that year. 1965 saw recordings that would end up on 10 Coltrane albums, whether they were released in his lifetime or not. The majority of the album was recorded in June of that year, a month that saw the most productive recording sessions of Coltrane's life. A distinct line in the sand was drawn in the recording sessions for this album, as Coltrane ventured away from the traditional sound of his previous recordings and began leaning into the sounds of the avant-garde and free jazz. The effect of this experimentation was immediate and evident on Coltrane, as he would go on to record Ascension [Edition I] later in June. For whatever reason, however, the album that was Transition was shelved until after Coltrane's death, when Impulse! began digging through the massive back-catalog of recordings.
Coltrane was still yet to dive directly into the free jazz sound that would define the final leg of his career, but this album certainly shows hints of what's to come. The name is accurate - this is John's transition from the classic quartet to the wild, experimental world of free jazz. You needn't look any further than the 15-minute title track for proof of this. Outside of the relatively standard (but still skillful) playing of McCoy Tyner, the rest of the musicians are stretching outside their boundaries on this song. Coltrane's saxophone is quickly vamping and squealing at a wild pace, and drummer Elvin Jones is playing with a newfound fury and intensity. To think that this was the same quartet from 1962.
Only two other songs stand alongside "Transition," albeit one feels considerably more out of place. "Dear Lord" is one of Coltrane's most gorgeous ballads, but it's also from a different recording session; the session that included "Dear Lord" is from May of 1965. It stands in a somewhat awkward place with the rest of the album due to it's completely different sound compared to the opening track. While it's odd in the context of the album, it still gets points for sheer beauty. The following 21 minute song that is "Suite" makes up the entirety of the second side of the record. Split into 5 segments, with a reoccurring motif of "Prayer and Meditation," this song is more the avant-garde and free jazz that makes up the title track of the song. With this decision, it makes everything feel whole with the album, and even gives "Dear Lord" a fitting place as a sort of "eye of the storm." Much like a hurricane, what follows the eye is an even more fierce and powerful version of the first storm.
It'd be a stretch to call Transition my favorite Coltrane album, but all I can really say is that he continues to deliver a wealth of worthwhile recordings. A prolific artist while he was alive for sure, and the fact that he had as many lost recordings as he did is a testament to that. Impulse! digging through the back-catalogs is generally a pretty neat thing, especially when we get classic albums resurrected from the grave. It's almost like he never left us at all, especially when his music contains such spark of life and human ability. That spark is the embodiment of Transition, and it's beautiful because of it. Coltrane gave us his fire.
9/10
Coltrane was still yet to dive directly into the free jazz sound that would define the final leg of his career, but this album certainly shows hints of what's to come. The name is accurate - this is John's transition from the classic quartet to the wild, experimental world of free jazz. You needn't look any further than the 15-minute title track for proof of this. Outside of the relatively standard (but still skillful) playing of McCoy Tyner, the rest of the musicians are stretching outside their boundaries on this song. Coltrane's saxophone is quickly vamping and squealing at a wild pace, and drummer Elvin Jones is playing with a newfound fury and intensity. To think that this was the same quartet from 1962.
Only two other songs stand alongside "Transition," albeit one feels considerably more out of place. "Dear Lord" is one of Coltrane's most gorgeous ballads, but it's also from a different recording session; the session that included "Dear Lord" is from May of 1965. It stands in a somewhat awkward place with the rest of the album due to it's completely different sound compared to the opening track. While it's odd in the context of the album, it still gets points for sheer beauty. The following 21 minute song that is "Suite" makes up the entirety of the second side of the record. Split into 5 segments, with a reoccurring motif of "Prayer and Meditation," this song is more the avant-garde and free jazz that makes up the title track of the song. With this decision, it makes everything feel whole with the album, and even gives "Dear Lord" a fitting place as a sort of "eye of the storm." Much like a hurricane, what follows the eye is an even more fierce and powerful version of the first storm.
It'd be a stretch to call Transition my favorite Coltrane album, but all I can really say is that he continues to deliver a wealth of worthwhile recordings. A prolific artist while he was alive for sure, and the fact that he had as many lost recordings as he did is a testament to that. Impulse! digging through the back-catalogs is generally a pretty neat thing, especially when we get classic albums resurrected from the grave. It's almost like he never left us at all, especially when his music contains such spark of life and human ability. That spark is the embodiment of Transition, and it's beautiful because of it. Coltrane gave us his fire.
9/10
Published
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What a transition indeed! This is truly the missing link between records like Sun Ship and A Love Supreme. If you ever need to see the sheer amount of development Coltrane's sound endured in the first half of the 60's, just listen to something like Coltrane, this quartet's first recording, and then experience this. A complete 180 in terms of mood, atmosphere, and overall craftsmanship from all players of this giant quartet.
McCoy Tyner begun as a shy, modal piano player but has budded into terribly melodic and chaotic performer. Elvin Jones was soft and full of brushes and easy snare, now melts any piece of music into an acid bop piece. Even Garrison amplified his playing into a spectacle of modern bass playing. And of course, John Coltrane is no exception in this "transition" period. The contrast between the title song and "Dear Lord" is awe inspiring. The hard, shrieks from Coltrane's sax coupled with Tyner's spuratic playing on Transition is so strangely juxtaposed with their spiritual, almost romantic atmosphere they create on Dear Lord.
Though this might not be THE record to check out from this newly envisioned quartet, it certainly is an amazing showcase of what this humble quartet of passionate players has become
McCoy Tyner begun as a shy, modal piano player but has budded into terribly melodic and chaotic performer. Elvin Jones was soft and full of brushes and easy snare, now melts any piece of music into an acid bop piece. Even Garrison amplified his playing into a spectacle of modern bass playing. And of course, John Coltrane is no exception in this "transition" period. The contrast between the title song and "Dear Lord" is awe inspiring. The hard, shrieks from Coltrane's sax coupled with Tyner's spuratic playing on Transition is so strangely juxtaposed with their spiritual, almost romantic atmosphere they create on Dear Lord.
Though this might not be THE record to check out from this newly envisioned quartet, it certainly is an amazing showcase of what this humble quartet of passionate players has become
Published
*Note: Rating and review for the original vinyl release
Aptly named Transition, this album chronicles Coltrane’s foray into the Avantgarde; shortly following A Love Supreme, recorded 5-6 months earlier. The first eponymous 15-minute titan of a track wastes no time letting the audience know how far he’s come since Blue Train. Employing a quick tempo, rapidly evolving tense structure, crashing cymbals and harsh extended overblowing, this track feels like Coltrane trying to sum up the last half year of his life. The bop motif is enforced at the beginning of the track before a deep descent to the instrumental bounds of the pieces; only returning to the motif at the very end of the track, when it’s long escaped your mind. Tyner’s playing lags in development slightly behind the other musicians, which is most notable on this track. His more bop-rooted approach attempts to string together the other musicians’ ‘out-of-place’ notes, and his exceptional technique accomplishes this quite well.
The second track, Dear Lord, apologizes for the tense and chaotic feel of the first with a sweet spiritual ballad that sounds like the love child of Ballads (1961-1962) and A Love Supreme (1964). McCoy Tyne’s effortless gliding across the piano steals the show on this track, in which he feels much more at home than the Avantgarde sections of the album.
Side B contains a side-long suite that strings together passages and musical fragments into one constantly evolving track. The scope on this one fell a little short in my opinion, as it feels like a few distinct songs that blow through the track breaks rather than a true ‘suite’. Here, every base imaginable is covered, from straight-forward hard bop, to Avantgarde spiritual and even an extended solo bass passage.
Overall, there is some exceptional musicianship and ideas on this record, but as a posthumous compilation might necessitate, it doesn’t function perfectly as an album. The massive standout is the title track, which I would define as essential Coltrane listening. Get this album, if only for Transition.
Aptly named Transition, this album chronicles Coltrane’s foray into the Avantgarde; shortly following A Love Supreme, recorded 5-6 months earlier. The first eponymous 15-minute titan of a track wastes no time letting the audience know how far he’s come since Blue Train. Employing a quick tempo, rapidly evolving tense structure, crashing cymbals and harsh extended overblowing, this track feels like Coltrane trying to sum up the last half year of his life. The bop motif is enforced at the beginning of the track before a deep descent to the instrumental bounds of the pieces; only returning to the motif at the very end of the track, when it’s long escaped your mind. Tyner’s playing lags in development slightly behind the other musicians, which is most notable on this track. His more bop-rooted approach attempts to string together the other musicians’ ‘out-of-place’ notes, and his exceptional technique accomplishes this quite well.
The second track, Dear Lord, apologizes for the tense and chaotic feel of the first with a sweet spiritual ballad that sounds like the love child of Ballads (1961-1962) and A Love Supreme (1964). McCoy Tyne’s effortless gliding across the piano steals the show on this track, in which he feels much more at home than the Avantgarde sections of the album.
Side B contains a side-long suite that strings together passages and musical fragments into one constantly evolving track. The scope on this one fell a little short in my opinion, as it feels like a few distinct songs that blow through the track breaks rather than a true ‘suite’. Here, every base imaginable is covered, from straight-forward hard bop, to Avantgarde spiritual and even an extended solo bass passage.
Overall, there is some exceptional musicianship and ideas on this record, but as a posthumous compilation might necessitate, it doesn’t function perfectly as an album. The massive standout is the title track, which I would define as essential Coltrane listening. Get this album, if only for Transition.
Published
I tend to not agree with the sentiment that Coltrane's demos and lost tracks and whatever are on the lesser end of his discography--I still don't get how Lush Life isn't considered one of his best releases--but I do kind of see it here. We've lost the Big Mood of Blue Train but haven't progressed into the mental hellhammer of bliss that is Ascension. People are trying things out here and not all of it feels super confident. But you know who complains about Coltrane when he's not at the peak of his abilities? People who shouldn't write about music.
Published
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