The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records

by Ashley Kahn

Following the path of its star musician John Coltrane, Impulse Records cut a creative swath through the 1960s and 1970s with the politically charged avant-garde jazz that defined the label's musical and spiritual identity. The House That Trane Built tells the story of the label, balancing tales of individual passion, artistic vision, and commercial motivation. Weaving together research, dynamic album covers, session photographs, and nearly one hundred interviews with executives, journalists, producers, and musicians from Ray Charles and Alice Coltrane to Quincy Jones, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, and others--this is the riveting tale of an era-shaping jazz label in the age of rock. The thirty-eight Album Profiles--a veritable book within a book--offer a consumer's guide to the best and most timeless titles on Impulse.

Genres: Music, Jazz, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Collections, Business

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

Ashley Kahn is an American music historian, journalist, and producer.

Reviews

[Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call it envy, call it hubris, but I think Impulse as a label, while able to justify itself as part of a pantheon of good music put out fince its inception, is absolutely angry that they don't get teh props of Blue Note. Jazz musicians, recording for a multitude of labels, probably kept the two from being a Motown/Stax level of animosity, but this book reads as a Impulse cheering section and ignorant of the other elephants in the room of jazz labels, most notably Blue Note.

This book really reads like Impulse is the most important jazz label ever, instead of fitting into a time, an economy, and a musical culture. Jazz began and ended with Impulse and, most notably, with John Coltrane. While I appreciate the "damn it all" approach taken to stick with Trane while he churned out classic music, the absolute celebration of Impulse in a vacuum isn't what I was expecting in reading this book.

[Ella Grace]

I found this book to be quite specific and narrow in terms of scope and subject, yet extremely thorough. This combination, along with the formatting and bulky size of the book made it feel more like a textbook to me. It was interesting and informative but not always engaging, entertaining, or enjoyable. I found that my attention span limited me to reading only a couple of chapters a week.

[Brian Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me forever to get back to reading this one. The stories were bland and to my mind does not hold a candle to the level of artistry this label is beholden to. These are great artists...Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Gabor Sabo, Ray Charles, Archie Shepp, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, the list goes on and on. I enjoyed the album highlights featured throughout the book but I just had a difficult time maintaining interest by the time I reached the halfway point. I have a couple chapters left that I may or may not get back to. But in the mean time I have other books to get to that pique my interest. Keith Morris ...My Damage...another junk food type book that I'm looking forward to reading, is up next.

[Cobertizo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si Coltrane es la deidad que teje el cosmos, Impulse es el cosmos mismo. Lectura trepidante que requiere volver una y otra vez sobre las anotaciones y escarbar entre la documentación que ofrece Ashley Kahn.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A enjoyable read for any fan of 'modern' Jazz. Kahn (also notable for his book on the making of Miles' _Kind of Blue_) is an unabashed devotee of jazz, and particularly of post-bop and '60s jazz. His decision to cover the swift changes in that world through the framework of Impulse! records is a wise one, as it allows him to link creative currents and innovations to an underlying analysis of the business side of jazz. Kahn has interviewed as many of the surviving jazz icons - and A&R and label men - as seems humanly possible, and the book is filled with a rewarding (but judicious) array of their reflections on individual albums and on the era that produced them. For me the sweet spot was the period that Kahn clearly loves best, that represented by the Bob Thiele era of Impulse! (1961-1969), but his (shorter) analysis of the ways in which Impulse! adapted both to changes on the business side, including a move to California and shakeouts of the executives, and the ways in which jazz confronted the avant-garde and pop music (rock) in the 1970s are fascinating as well. As other reviewers have noted, I also appreciated his decision to include about thirty 2-page side-bars devoted to individual albums that Kahn felt were either of surpassing creative worth or that marked important shifts in the overall nature of the label. Finally, as a jazz lover I found myself drawn to the fine discography that Kahn includes at the end of the book; my wallet is already lighter from some of the discoveries I made thanks to his book.

So, easily a 3- or 3.5-star book. One previous reviewer noted that Kahn avoids the 'other elephant in the room', aka Blue Note. His is a valid point, and one worth a short epilogue. Kahn focuses rather unrelentingly on Impulse!, its producers, and its artists. As the title indicates, this is the story of a label - it is not the story of Jazz in the 60s. At times I sympathized with that other reviewer, as I wondered if Kahn's triumphalist narrative about Impulse and Coltrane might not have benefited from some comparison with what, say, Columbia (Miles) or Blue Note (lots of others) was up to. As is well known, and as Kahn notes early in the book, even 'signed' artists could appear as one-offs on other labels in this period. I would have found it interesting to see Kahn compare the techniques and approaches of the big jazz labels and even to have heard what the musicians thought of their options. But ultimately that is another book, one Kahn chose not to write. Perhaps for his next work?

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the three books I've read from this author, this one was definitely the weakest. However, that is mostly because Mr. Kahn's other books are so good- anyone with an interest in jazz should definitely take a look at Kind Of Blue: The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece & A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album. This present book is really more for those who have an interest in the record business (and the history thereof), rather than music as such. I found it fairly interesting, but I'm on the fringes of the target demographic. I'd be happy to own a copy, but I don't see myself putting any effort into obtaining one...

What I'd really like to know is- what happened to the book this author was writing on the Blue Note label???

[Phil Overeem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, sent me record-hunting, great stories behind the making of key Impulse releases.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A week ago I was remarking to my friend, Owen, who lent me this book, that jazz is the greatest music genre because it is endlessly complex, filled to the brim with amazing practitioners and has something for everyone, from soft, slow cool jazz to freaky skronky spiritual jazz. He didn't disagree. Impulse Records was, and, once again, is, one of the most important and influential jazz labels. The House That Trane Built is a fine book detailing the history of this important label from 1960-61 to 2004, when Alice Coltrane released her last studio album, the incredible Translinear Light. Oddly, however, the discography near the back of the book ends in 1977, when the label was sold and then mainly became a source of reissues. This is a minor issue, as the writing is engaging, the history fascinating and the major players, such as producer Bob Thiele, who worked extensively with John Coltrane, are all correct and present. Coltrane, is, of course, one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century. There's plenty within these pages for Coltrane fans, in particular regarding Coltrane operating in the studio and some insights into his home life. Although Coltrane does dominate, Impulse signed some of the key innovative jazz acts of the sixties and seventies outside of Miles Davis, making this book a history of jazz itself during that period as it took on the rising force of rock in the late sixties and early seventies.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of The House That Trane Built is the regular two page features on specific albums, many of them unknown to me, or ones that I'd forgotten that I had lurking away among my records and CDs. As expected Coltrane himself is included a number of times, with his first for the label, Africa/Brass (1961), featuring early on, which I hadn't listened to for years. There's also obscurities like Ask Me Now! by Pee Wee Russel (1961), which somehow I had in my collection, un-listened to, which turned out to be beautifully poised and gently ebullient. There's also some great photos, such as Albert Ayler playing the bag-pipes and some very sexist print ads for the era, one of which features a naked women being spoon fed. At least the jazz can't be cancelled. The book was put together in a timely fashion, with many of the major players still alive to contribute, like Alice Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and many of the producers used throughout the first life of the label. Their first-hand contributions really make this book shine, and also unfortunately highlight the sad fact that John Coltrane died at the age of forty in 1967. The book does become less interesting after this point, but this is not really the fault of Kahn. Although Kahn is no great stylist, his straight-forward accounts still manage to convey his obvious passion for jazz. If you've never really understood jazz, I wouldn't necessarily recommend the music covered in The House That Trane Built as a place to start. Depending, of course, on your general musical experience and predilections, I'd begin with 50's hard bop before moving on to the likes of Impulse. If you get that far then this book is a perfect initial guide. However if you are ready to dive into the deep end of jazz, then Impulse has just released a beautiful sixtieth anniversary box set that I can personally vouch for as well worth your investment.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it is slightly repetitive, ultimately, The House that Trane Built is a nice companion read to another of Kahn’s books, A Love Supreme. The many amazing jazz players featured in the story of the making of A Love Supreme reappear here, some of whose albums are given 2-page mini-essay treatments. Those pieces are a terrific feature of the book.

It’s great to hear artists in their own words talk about their albums and musical collaborations, as in the humorous side-by-side quotes from Coltrane and drummer Rashied Ali about their playing together:

“The way [Rashied Ali] plays allows the soloist maximum freedom. I can really choose just about any direction at just about any time in the confidence that it will be compatible with what he’s doing….You see, he’s laying down multi-directional rhythms all the time” - Coltrane

“He was telling me that I was playing stuff like multi-directional rhythms, which I didn’t have a clue as to what that was” - Ali (262).

Like Kahn’s book on the making of the A Love Supreme album, it’s evident that he poured an unbelievable amount of labor (and love!) into this book. Kahn even quotes from Impulse record contracts with their artists, including this fucking amazing clause from Sun Ra’s:

6. SIMILAR RIGHTS ON PLANETS OTHER THAN EARTH. Company agrees that all rights discussed in paragraph 5 above, as well as all rights of distribution and retail sales, on planets other than Earth (including but not limited to Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter, and Mars) shall belong to Sun Ra. [227]

Even though I know and own a couple dozen Impulse records, reading this produced a list for another dozen to check out. Which, really is what it’s all about–the music itself.

[GLF (Seeing better than ever!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Impulse Records, who recorded John Coltrane in the latter years of his career after working with Miles Davis and then establishing his own name as a leader.

But (surprisingly) it is clear that the person who laid the foundation for the house was producer Creed Taylor who was responsible for establishing the label under ABC-Paramount's record division. The logo and the look of Impulse releases was the work of those who worked with Creed Taylor and several artists and successful releases were already in place before John Coltrane was signed to the label.

Coltrane's releases on Impulse added credibility to the emerging label and helped develop it's motto as a progressive Jazz label - "The New Wave of Jazz is on IMPULSE!".

Kahn discusses how each subsequently appointed producer to Impulse carried on the vision of Creed Taylor of this as a high quality Jazz label.

Much more information on Impulse releases and artists can be found here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse...

[Robert S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The House That Trane Built is the story of Impulse Records and the imprint it left not just on the jazz world but music as a whole.

Kahn has written other fantastic books about the creation of legendary jazz albums "Kind of Blue" and "A Love Supreme". This book is a complimenting addition to that list.

Although I would have enjoyed it more if Kahn fully made the book about the albums that transformed the label as I felt they were the stronger part of the book.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at a bookstore on a whim. As someone who loves jazz, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys jazz and history. Kahn guides the reader through the various eras of Impulse records, with plentiful additional details such as advertising imagery of the time, album covers, commentary + interviews with artists and more.

[Slow Culture Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title might be a bit misleading, but I don't regret reading this book. The House That Trane Built is not always entertaining, but the documentation effort is remarkable and this book will help Impulse's legacy to survive truly. Isn't it all that matters?

[Eye Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot about the history of a label I barely knew existed. Learned a lot about other labels, like CTI, tangentially connected to Impulse. I will definitely be on the lookout for Impulse LPs in the future, not just Coltrane albums...

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems to chronicle every single thing that ever happened. It makes for more of a catalog than a story. But I did learn some things.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good overview of the label that included some illuminating details (Pharoah Sanders was Impulse’s best seller?!) but I wish it had more about Ayler and Sun Ra.

[Robert Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating document of the history of Impulse Records. Highly recommended.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impulse records, the final and perhaps definitive, record label of John Coltrane, was the premier jazz record label from the late fifties through the late sixties. This carefully researched book traces the history of the label up through its demise in the mid seventies (although it would return later and still exists as a functioning label today), with particular focus on the influence of John Coltrane.

Like most books about music or musicians, the most interesting part is the early days when Creed Taylor created the label (then part of ABC records) and handed off the reins to Bob Thiele who produced such classics as Coltrane’s "A Love Supreme" and "Crescent" while ushering in the glory years of Impulse.

Ashley Khan's knowledge and understanding of jazz and his unabashed love for the Impulse sound and look make this book interesting reading. I particularly liked the thirty or so sidebar pieces that focus on specific releases, which are important to the history of the label and, for that matter, the history of jazz. He also spends considerable time on the very distinctive LP sleeve design characteristics that made these records stand out from the rest of the pack. Impulse records are great to listen to AND to look at.

The only caveat that I will give you regarding this book is that it may cause you to have an expensive jones to purchase some Impulse vinyl records. I know it did that to me.

[Fernando Pestana da Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title of this book states, this is the history of one of the most charismatic record labels in jazz: the Impulse! Records. Easily recognizable on the shelves by the black and orange spines of its LPs (and later also CDs) this was an important label throughout the sixties, having in its catalogue a considerable amount of famous, nay: indispensable, jazz albums by, among many others, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Albert Ayler, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Oliver Nelson, and, of course, John Coltrane, who recorded his best work as leader for the label (naturally A Love Supreme and Ascension, but also the magnificent sessions recorded live at The Village Vanguard in November 1961). The gems are just too many, by too many people, to list them all here, but all jazz lover knows what I am talking about. Every fan of the music will enjoy the reading, a chronological history of the company under its different producers (Creed Taylor, Bob Thiele, Ed Michel, Steve Backer and Esmond Edwards) and their rapport with the musicians ant the jazz world. Interspersed among the main text are more than thirty vignettes about specific Impulse! albums. Pity the current owners of the label did not take this opportunity to put back into the market the large number of titles currently unavailable.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent overview from an obviously passionate author. The book remains rather distant and fails to engage many of the releases beyond a few anecdotes and doesn't investigate any of the artists beyond a cursory glance with the exception of the Coltranes. That being said, it was an easy read that helped fill in a few info holes in my knowledge and made me even more curious of the spaces that were left untouched or were barely touched.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the three greatest jazz books ever written, easily. Kahn lists every chapter by landmark Impulse Records album, of which there are many, and simply lets the musicians talk about the recording sessions, the budget for the record, the promotion put into the record, all the unglamorous stuff and it reads amazingly well.
And who could believe Archie Shepp couldn't get signed until John Coltrane made one little phone call?

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. In it's day, Impulse Records commanded the kind of brand loyalty that was usually reserved for indie rock labels like 4AD, I.R.S. and SST in the 80's and SubPop and Thrill Jockey in the 90's. This history of the label reminds us why the musical landscape in general would be much different today were it not for Impulse, and why the 60's and early 70's were considered the final apex for the development of Jazz.

[Ryan Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at one of the most iconic labels of the 1960's jazz landscape, a label which owed much of its success to John Coltrane. Doesn't go into huge amounts of detail of the behind the scenes stuff, but it talks about the important artists/releases, and has plenty of great photos. Nice layout too. For fans of the label, its great, but you would probably know quite a bit of the things covered anyway.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another nice piece by Ashley Kahn, filled with loads of rare memorabilia, advertising copy, and anecdotal material about the Impulse story. I think it should interest most listeners, but will appeal especially to those hardcore Impulse fans. Of course Coltrane gets mentioned a lot... apparently the sale of his work keeps the lights on at Impulse. I'm also happy that the book is in a larger size with a hard cover.

[Juha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of jazz in its critical period from the late 1950s to the 1980s. Impulse was a legendary record label that had an amazing influence on the music. The book is very thoroughly researched.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-researched book about the ups, downs and in-betweens of Impulse Records. Striking the right blend of being informative without being snooze-inducing, it's a great volume for any jazz enthusiast.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is fascinating to me to hear about the history of a record label. This book is well written and explains a lot of things I didn't know . It also has caused me to go back and listen more carefully to some of the music .

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The nature of this meant it was a bit thin and safe - a bit like the modern style of documentary where everything is laid out with relentless foreshadowing. Good to discover some hidden stuff on Impulse, though.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really engaging and enjoyable trawl through the history of Impulse Records. I like how there were in-depth discussions of key albums from the label's catalog inserted between the main narrative. Walked away from this with a long list of new albums to check out, always a good sign.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read for Coltrane and jazz fans in general! Impulse was an amazing label in the 1960s and into the 70s.