John Coltrane’s 8th studio album as a leader was released on 1 September 1961. It was his first album for Impulse! records (and their 6th release overall).
While credited to a “Quartet,” Africa/Brass includes more than 20 musicians, including Bill Barber (tuba), Carl Bowman (euphonium), Jim Buffington (french horn), Paul Chambers (bass), Elvin Jones (drums), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), and Booker Little (trumpet).
Coltrane initially approached Gil Evans about arranging, but Eric Dolphy (alto sax, bass clarinet, flute) and McCoy Tyner (piano) ultimately provided the orchestration.
The album was initially met with poor reviews (and poor sales) but its reputation has increased over the years, and is considered one of the highlights of Coltrane’s career.