With the classic, studio version of the title track. The drummer John Stevens used to rave about Steve Davis, seldom recorded but here on bass.

‘In August of 1961, the John Coltrane Quintet played an engagement at the legendary Village Gate in Greenwich Village, New York. Coltrane’s Classic Quartet was not as fully established as it would soon become and there was a meteoric fifth member of Coltrane’s group those nights — visionary multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy. Ninety minutes of never-before-heard music from this group were recently discovered at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, offering a glimpse into a powerful musical partnership that ended much too soon. In addition to some well-known Coltrane material (My Favorite Things, Impressions, Greensleeves), there is a breathtaking feature for Dolphy’s bass clarinet on When Lights Are Low, and the only known non-studio recording of Coltrane’s composition Africa, from the Africa/Brass album. This recording represents a very special moment in John Coltrane’s journey — the summer of 1961 — when his signature, ecstatic live sound, commonly associated his Classic Quartet of ‘62 to ‘65, was first maturing. He was drawing inspiration from deep, African sources, and experimenting with doubled-up basses both in the studio (Ole) and on stage. This truly rare recording of Africa captures his expansive vision at the time.’

Totally unmissable just for the opener, a killer, 15-minute version of Arlen’s show-tune Out Of This World — drums and bass locking it down, Trane taking flight. From 1962, between Ole and Impressions.

His last Atlantic is a masterpiece; modal heaven. Ole is thunderous, with two bass players; Aisha is a gorgeous ballad. ‘George Lane’ is Eric Dolphy; Freddie Hubbard’s here, too.
Superior, ‘crystal clear’, 140g pressing from Rhino.

Hard-blowing bop classic from 1958, when Trane was with Monk. A crack sextet rounded out by the richly soulful trombone of youngster Curtis Fuller. Next stop, Giant Steps.

Two dates from an extended stay at the Half Note club, March 26 — May 7, 1965; originally captured for radio broadcast, but issued by Impulse! in 2005 as One Down, One Up: Live At The Half Note.
Here it is again, with vastly improved sound, re-sequenced to culminate in the stunning saxophone-drums duet One Down, One Up.

Writing in All About Jazz, Chris May quotes Alice Coltrane, reminiscing about this period: ‘Someone in the audience would stand up, their arms upreaching, and they would be like that for an hour or more. Their clothing would be soaked with perspiration, and when they finally sat down, they practically fell down. The music just took people out of the whole material world; it lifted them up.’ And Archie Shepp, specifically about these Half Note gigs: ‘It was like being in a church. I mean, Coltrane brought something which raised this music from secular music to a religious world music.’

Remastered, adding a bundle of alternate takes and versions — including rehearsal and incomplete takes, as well as false starts — only previously included in the box-set The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings. Decent booklet, too.