Impressions /

Impressions is a 1963 album of both live and studio recordings by jazz musician John Coltrane. Tracks 1 & 3 were recorded live at the Village Vanguard in November 1961, while tracks 2 & 4 were recorded at Van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on September 18, 1962 and April 29, 1963. Track 5, "Dear Old Stockholm" did not appear on the original release, but appears on later reissues. The album was orginally released in 1963 on the Impulse! label. Two tracks were recorded on November 5, 1961, another on September 18, 1962, and a fourth on April 29, 1963. The recording features the "classic quartet" of John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones; they are joined by Eric Dolphy and Reggie Workman on the live Vanguard tracks. Dolphy plays a memorable solo on the long modal workout "India", but lays out on all but the coda of "Impressions". Workman is at hand only on "India", to join Garrison in approximating the sound of an African drum choir. Throughout, Tyner's presence is unusually muted; he takes his only solo on the bonus track, "Dear Old Stockholm", is barely audible on the two Village Vanguard tracks, and lays out entirely on "Up 'Gainst the Wall".