Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy captures one of the most fascinating and transitional periods in modern jazz. Recorded during John Coltrane’s residency at New York’s Village Gate in August 1961, these performances document his extraordinary quintet with Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones.
The tapes were never intended as a commercial recording. Village Gate sound engineer Richard Alderson suspended a single microphone above the stage while testing newly acquired equipment. The recordings were subsequently forgotten and remained unheard for more than five decades before being rediscovered in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
Across five expansive performances, Coltrane and Dolphy explore familiar material with remarkable freedom and intensity. My Favorite Things stretches beyond its familiar structure, while When Lights Are Low and Impressions reveal the group’s spontaneous interplay. The second record is devoted to powerful readings of Greensleeves and the monumental Africa.
Dolphy’s alto saxophone, flute and bass clarinet provide a striking counterpoint to Coltrane’s tenor and soprano saxophones. Together with Tyner, Workman and Jones, they capture a group standing between hard bop, modal jazz and the more spiritual and avant-garde direction Coltrane would pursue during the following years.
Released by Impulse! and UMe in 2023, this gatefold double album presents the complete surviving recordings in their original mono sound. It includes extensive historical notes and offers a raw, intimate window into an essential chapter of Coltrane’s artistic development.
Condition: Sealed / Mint — brand-new and factory sealed. Both records are unplayed, and the original shrink wrap remains intact. Minor imperfections to the shrink wrap or sleeve corners may occur from storage.
Artist: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy
Title: Evenings at the Village Gate
Label: Impulse! / UMe
Catalog number: 00602455514196
Barcode: 602455514196
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, Gatefold
Country: Europe
Released: 14 July 2023
Made in: Germany
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Modal Jazz, Post-Bop, Avant-Garde Jazz