Live at Birdland

Live at Birdland
Live album / studio album by John Coltrane
Released	1964,[1] CD 1996
Recorded	October 8, 1963 (#1-3) Birdland, New York City March 6, 1963 (#6, CD only) November 18, 1963 (#4-5) Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
Genre	Jazz, post-bop
Length	38:59 original LP 43:35 CD reissue
Label	Impulse! A-50
Producer	Bob Thiele
John Coltrane chronology
Impressions (1963) Live at Birdland (1964) Crescent (1964)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

Live at Birdland is a 1964 album by jazz musician John Coltrane. Despite its title, only the first three tracks were recorded live at the Birdland club, the rest are studio tracks. Among them, is "Alabama" a tribute to four children killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, an attack at a Birmingham, Alabama church by white supremacists. The album's original pressing accidentally included a false start - this was corrected in later copies, but restored in CD editions. The album also features a live recording of "I Want to Talk About You," a song Coltrane had recorded on his 1958 album Soultrane, this time with a famous extended cadenza, lasting over eight minutes.

Track listing

All songs written by John Coltrane except as indicated

1. "Afro Blue" – 10:50
2. "I Want to Talk About You" (Billy Eckstine)  – 8:11
3. "The Promise" – 8:10
4. "Alabama" – 5:09
5. "Your Lady" – 6:39

Compact Disc bonus track

6. "Vilia" – 4:36

"Vilia" is the main melodic statement to the Franz Lehár piece "Vivias", set to a swing feel and chord changes.

Personnel

• John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
• McCoy Tyner – piano
• Jimmy Garrison – double bass
• Elvin Jones – drums

References