Eric Dolphy (alto sax), John Coltrane (tenor sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Reggie Workman (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums). From the album Impressions (1963).
“Impressions” has the same harmonic structure as “So What”, which appears on the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue (1959). It's a modal theme and it's one of his best works. He only recorded it in studio once, but played it live many times. What impresses me the most is the strength of a person who can play the saxophone for fifteen minutes continuously with amazing intensity. The rhythm brings the listener into a trance. Tyner accompanies him for a while at the beginning and in the re-exposure of the theme, the rest is a marathon won without a single sign of fatigue. Michael Brecker won a Grammy in 1996 playing this theme.
Coltrane exposes the theme, but soon goes by his own courses. He tries to explore everything. The choruses are cascading without interruption. Tyner stops scorting Coltrane, leaving him in control of the situation. From now on he’s is alone, but that doesn’t scare him at all. He continues with his undaunted narration. Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones make an excellent job of accompaniment. Coltrane’s speech seems infinite. He makes incomprehensible variations that to the average mortal seems impossible to execute. They're like sounds received from another galaxy. He continues with the same intensity, without fainting for a second. The message he is conveying is really important and sometimes he puts more emphasis on it. It is expressed in one and a thousand ways. At last, he re-exposes the theme, Tyner joins in and Dolphy contributes his own little grain of sand by participating in the final chord.
© Impulse! Records
