John Coltrane’s 1963 Impulse! Records release Impressions is sometimes overlooked by jazz newcomers and even established fans of the artist. But it represents an important stepping stone between his work on albums such as Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, and Africa/Brass, which I reviewed quite recently, and the final run-up to his January 1965 masterpiece, A Love Supreme.
Universal’s Verve / Acoustic Sounds Series has revived this excellent album and put it back within reach of the public with a fine new reissue. Again driven by Chad Kassem (of Analogue Productions fame), the lacquers for this new pressing of Impressions were crafted by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab.
The 180-gram vinyl discs were pressed at Quality Record Pressings (QRP), and each comes housed in an audiophile-grade, plastic-lined inner sleeve. The beautiful gatefold cover is manufactured to recreate the exacting look and feel of original editions, with glossy laminated cover artwork and the period-accurate, 1963-era orange starburst style Impulse Records label design (comparison of 1963 original to reissue below).
A mix of studio and live recordings, the fidelity changes a bit on this one, as it features two tracks from the same sessions that gave us Coltrane’s wonderful Live At The Village Vanguard albums. It still kind of blows my mind that, at a time when much of the pre-Beatles world was listening to often insipid pop fluff, the strong jazz underground could still allow an artist like Coltrane to thrive, creating such inspired music.
The music on Impressions, and the track “India” in particular, was definitely an influence on many artists. For example, The Byrds’ co-founder Roger McGuinn has frequently gone on record mentioning this album, as well as Africa / Brass, as important influences on the evolution of their expansive sound, particularly on tracks like “Eight Miles High.”
Unlike my last review of Africa / Brass, where I only had a 3rd or 4th pressing to compare it to, in this instance I actually own a quite nice condition 1st pressing. Short of being able to conduct a true A/B test, I made some quick back-to-back reality checks between both versions, and the new Acoustic Sounds reissue clearly bests my original.
It is less compressed and fuller sounding, with Reggie Workman and Jimmy Garrison’s twin double basses feeling far more present. When Eric Dolphy’s bass clarinet solo enters, the impact is stunning, with a rich presence at which the original only hints.
So now I am in a pickle: I love owning original pressings, but this presentation is so well crafted that I may well purge my OG. First-world problems for sure, I know.
You can get Impressions on Amazon for a very reasonable $38.98, which is a great deal, especially when you consider buying a vintage pressing on the collector’s market.
For example, at the time of this writing, a 1963 original stereo pressing in, at best, VG+ condition on Discogs would cost you at least $75. A more pristine copy, like the one I have, would cost much more. The choice is yours, but if you are simply looking for great sound and an authentic presentation of Impressions, this new reissue is a winner.
Our Ratings
★★★★★★★★★★ Music
★★★★★★★★★★ Sound
★★★★★★★★★★ Packaging
Where to Buy
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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