"First Impulse: The Creed Taylor Collection" confirmed for April release in the U.S.

Now it's official. The 4-CD box set "First Impulse: The Creed Taylor Collection," celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Impulse! label founded by the legendary producer, is scheduled for release in the USA next April by the Hip-O Select label.

The collection includes the complete versions of the Creed Taylor-produced albums for Impulse: John Coltrane's monumental “Africa/Brass,” Gil Evans’ “Out Of The Cool” (with Ron Carter and Elvin Jones in the rhythm section), Oliver Nelson's masterpiece “Blues And The Abstract Truth” (including "Stolen Moments" and featuring Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, Paul Chambers, Roy Haynes, George Barrow & Eric Dolphy, not to mention engineer Rudy Van Gelder), Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson's “The Great Kai & J.J.” (the first album ever issued by Impulse! using the original catalog number AS-1 and launching the slogan "The New Wave of Jazz Is On Impulse!"), Ray Charles’ classic “Genius + Soul = Jazz” and Kai Winding's “The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones”.

Both "The Great Kai & J.J." (which features Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Paul Williams, Roy Haynes and Art Taylor) and "The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones" (with Bill Evans & Ron Carter playing together in three songs, plus the contributions of Jimmy Knepper, Tony Studd, Al Beldini, Paul Faulise, Johnny Messner, Bob Cranshaw and Olatunji, among others) had been previously released on CD format only in Japan.

"Africa/Brass," "Genius + Soul=Jazz" and "Blues And The Abstract Truth" had been reissued in Europe, with different cover arts using Pete Turner's shots, on Creed's own CTI label in 1993, in the now extremely hard-to-find PDCTI series.

The box will include three previously unreleased Coltrane tracks: "Laura" (the David Raksin standard), and two tunes by trumpeter Cal Massey: "The Damned Don't Cry" and "Nakatini Serenade."
For more details, please check:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/01/new-coltrane-compilation-reveals-never-before-heard-demos.html

New Creed Taylor compilation includes never-before-heard John Coltrane demos
January 18, 2011 5:10 pm
by Chris Barton

Like finding a few extra cookies at the bottom of the jar, Impulse Recordings has announced its upcoming four-CD set "First Impulse: The Creed Taylor Collection" will include three previously unreleased demos by John Coltrane.

Recorded in early 1961 for "Africa/Brass," the large ensemble album that would mark the saxophonist great's debut for Taylor's new label, the songs were recorded and conducted by trumpeter and Coltrane friend Cal Massey.

Including the standard "Laura" along with two Massey compositions — eventual "Africa/Brass" track "The Damned Don't Cry" along with a slower take on "Nakatini Serenade" (previously recorded by Coltrane in 1958) — the demos could offer an interesting glimpse into Coltrane's process heading into the "Africa/Brass" sessions, which featured arrangements by Eric Dolphy.

In addition to "Africa/Brass," the set will also include Ray Charles' "Genius + Soul = Jazz" and two albums by Danish trombonist Kai Winding that were never released in the U.S. Scheduled to come out in April, the set is part of a yearlong celebration of Impulse's 50th anniversary that is said to also include a series of live events and further releases in conjunction with what would have been Coltrane's 85th birthday this September.

Label-Jubiläum: 50 Jahre Impulse!
Das Label, das seit 1960 im Jazz viele Trends setzte, feiert dieses Jahr ein rundes Jubiläum, u.a. mit einer neuen CD-Box und der Veröffentlichung unbekannter John-Coltrane-Aufnahmen!
Impulse! begeht dieses Jahr seinen 50. Geburtstag. Und den möchte das von der Produzentenlegende Creed Taylor aufgebaute Plattenlabel das ganze Jahr über zelebrieren. Da zudem John Coltrane, unangefochten die Galionsfigur des Impulse!-Rosters, im September 2011 seinen 85. Geburtstag hätte, liegt gleich ein doppelter Anlass zum Feiern vor. Getan wird dies in entsprechend großem Stil!

Eine Nachricht dürfte die Jazzwelt besonders elektrisieren: Bestandteil einer im April erscheinenden 4-CD-Box mit dem Titel “First Impulse: The Creed Taylor Collection” sind drei unveröffentlichte Aufnahmen, die John Coltrane gemeinsam mit dem Trompeter, Komponisten und Arrangeur Cal Massey sowie einem großen All-Star-Ensemble machte, bevor er sein erstes Impulse!-Album “Africa/Brass” einspielte. 50 Jahre lang wussten nur wenige Eingeweihte überhaupt, dass diese Aufnahmen existierten. Nun erscheinen sie in der Jubiläums-Box gemeinsam mit den ersten sechs von Creed Taylor produzierten Impulse!-Alben: Coltranes “Africa/Brass”, Gil Evans’ “Out Of The Cool”, Oliver Nelsons “Blues And The Abstract Truth”, Kai Winding & J.J. Johnsons “The Great Kai & J.J.”, Ray Charles’ “Genius + Soul = Jazz” sowie Kai Windings “The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones”.

Als zusätzliche Aktivitäten zum Impulse!-Jubiläum werden für das weitere Jahr die Erstveröffentlichungen diverser John-Coltrane-Konzerte sowie eine neue Serie mit besonders gesuchten Alben des Labels angekündigt. Jazz-Fans dürfen sich also auf ein „impulsives 2011“ freuen.