'TRANE

'TRANE

One of the most remarkable records ever put together in the galaxy is Ascension (Impulse AS-95), a monstrous manisfestation led by John Coltrane. This, record transcends artifact (or anything solid), jazz and other concepts we use to control music. Trane is joined by Freddie Hubbard and D&vey Johnson, trumpets; Marion Brown, and John Tchicai; alto saxes; Pharoah Sanders and Archie ShCpp, tenor saxes; McCoy Tyner, piano; Art Davis and Jimmy Garrison, basses; and jElvin Jones, drums. Just from the lineup, it sounds like the crazed dream of a heavy jazz maniac. But it isn’t a crazed dream, it’s real and (this is the remarkable part) available for you-to listen.

The record containsone “work”, A scension (Parts 1 and 2) totaling 37 minutes, 50 seconds. The theme is stated by Trane in the beginning, just four notes,-John Cdtrane’s mystic simplicity. The Whole thing consists^ of solos by each member of the ensemble sandwiched between what Down beat would call onslaught of sound. But these onslaughts are insideoutslaughts, Layers of music* chaotic like the center of the universe (as described by Leroi Jones and H.P.Lovecraft-the writer, not the group). These

ensemble passages are UNIQUE and to miss them is to go through life with only part of each ear. The near unbearable intensity of these eleven musicians, the screams, wails, crys, of ecstasy and pain, are all quite beautiful. Many of the straight who cherish, their A1 Hirt records (does that sound better?) would complain that a cry of anguish is hot musical and definitely not pleasant. But these are not, actual crys, this is tne ; sound of human breath being pushed through horns, fighting its way through needs and valves, finally reaching the liquid in your ears, vibrating thoserine little hairs. And its magic that these sounds can make you think of human anguish. Or ecstasy. And anything you say about “pleasant” is as ignorant as a TV-2 editorial and will be crushed beneath the force of these sounds. That’s the beatify of it. The music raves with the lifeforce, and the only way to talk about it is to rave along with it? Respond with energy Says Marion Brown: “You could use this record to heat up the apartment on thqse cold winter' days.”