John Coltrane's 1961 residency at New York City's Village Vanguard proved to be a controversial turning point for jazz. Presented here as The Complete Nights of 1-2 November 1961, it was his first live album and the first to feature the members of the classic quartet of himself with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. Coltrane hired Eric Dolphy for the residency as well, however he is only featured on a few of the recordings. Along with the inclusion of Dolphy the residency provoked controversy with the kind of music Coltrane's band was playing. This was the avant-garde of Jazz at the time, with Coltrane beginning to experiment with Eastern music, represented in numbers like "India" and instruments like the oud. This was challenging for audiences and critics alike. And the critics began filling newspapers with vehement anti-Coltrane sentiment, some even went so far as to call him downfall of jazz! Deluxe 3LP boxset with glossy insert.

• music label: Doxy 2013

reviewed by Titiyo 02/2013