News

Mosaic Records will issue on May 21st a 3 LP set of The Complete Sun Ship Sessions including newly discovered and previously unissued alternative takes from one of the John Coltrane Quartet's final studio sessions.

This is the classic quartet of Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones was recorded on August 25th 1965 but the original single LP The Sun Ship, heavily edited from the original takes, wasn't released until 1971.

This new release is sourced from newly discovered original reels of tape and includes the set's five original compositions unedited, in the recorded sequence. It also includes in-studio patter.

These sessions were recorded at RCA's 24th street studios by engineer Bob Simpson—a name familiar to many audiophiles. Simpson also recorded Sonny Rollins, Charlie Mingus, Albert Ayler and many other jazz greats as well as hundreds of albums for RCA, Impulse and other labels.

The discovered reels are three-track masters with tenor sax on one channel, piano and bass on another and drums on another, which afforded mix down engineer Kevin Reeves a great opportunity to get the balance just right. Mosaic claims the mix far exceeds the results obtained originally.

Mosaic remastered and pressed on 180 gram at RTI.

Luddites can get the set on CD from Verve on April 16th but it will be worth waiting for the reel deal available exclusively from Mosaic Records.