John Coltrane’s never-before-released studio recording Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album will be available June 29 via Impulse! Records. Listen to the artist’s son, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, discuss the unearthing of this album on an episode of Amazon Music’s “Today in Music,” where they were originally shared as audio clips, via the player below:
Both Directions at Once was originally recorded on March 6, 1963, by John Coltrane and his classic quartet, including McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. “When I first heard these recordings, I felt enlightened, I felt happy, elevated,” says Ravi Coltrane. “To hear this band that was so familiar with his sound, the sound of John Coltrane’ and his tenor, it’s the sound that kind of changed the world.”
Watch Ravi Coltrane talk about the famous quartet:
Though the master tape of Both Directions at Once was never found, the Coltrane family kept its reference tape for 54 years. It remained untouched until Impulse! approached the family to finally release the lost album, which they discovered was in excellent condition.
The historic session resulted in 14 tracks in total. Ravi Coltrane selected seven out of these tracks to be included in the standard edition of Both Directions at Once. These include two unknown and previously unheard tracks — “Untitled 11383” and “Untitled 11386.” All 14 tracks will be released in a deluxe set. Both versions will be released on CD and vinyl, while the deluxe set will also be made available on all digital streaming platforms.
Listen to “Untitled 11383” from Both Directions at Once via the player below: