Orange and black. Fire and ebony. Fury and pride. Wearing its signature colors proudly and raising its exclamation point high, Impulse! Records was the go-to label for music that harnessed the searching and political stand-taking of the Sixties. Launched in 1961, Impulse grew to become an inherent part of the era’s velocity as well as its volume, pulling jazz into the age of Black Power, Afrocentricity, and Spiritual Expansion. In its balance of tradition and transition, it bridged the golden age of jazz, that brief window from the late Fifties to the Seventies when players representing every jazz era were alive and active—from Louis Armstrong to Albert Ayler, from the legends of lore to a new generation of energy players. Impulse treated all its musicians as innovators, revolutionaries even—from swing and bebop, to free and Afrofuturist.

The performances on Impulse Records: Music, Message and the Moment draw their staying power from a wide embrace of styles and sounds, as well as a tight focus on a historic moment when the promise of change was in the air and the message of racial harmony was in the music. Today that music has lost none of its relevance: the promise still deferred, the message still on time.




LP 1 — Side 1

1. The John Coltrane Quartet — Africa 16:27

(John Coltrane)

John Coltrane — ts; Booker Little — t; Britt Woodman — tb; Carl Bowman — euph; Don Corrado, Bob Northern, Robert Swisshelm, Julius Watkins — frh; Bill Barber — tu; Eric Dolphy — as, bcl, fl, arr; Pat Patrick — bs; McCoy Tyner — p; Art Davis, Reggie Workman — b; Elvin Jones — d.

Recorded June 7, 1961. Released in 1961.

From the album Africa/Brass (Impulse A-6-S)



LP 1 — Side 2

1. Max Roach — Garvey's Ghost 7:52

(Max Roach)

Max Roach — d; Booker Little — t; Julian Priester — tb; Clifford Jordan — ts; Mal Waldron — p; Art Davis — b; Carlos Eugenio, Carlos "Patato" Valdes — perc; Abbey Lincoln — vcl.

Recorded August 1, 1961. Released in 1961.

From the album Percussion Bitter Sweet (Impulse AS-8)



2. Quincy Jones and his Orchestra — Hard Sock Dance 3:20

(Quincy Jones)

Quincy Jones — arr, cond; Al DeRisi, Freddie Hubbard, Thad Jones, Snooky Young — t; Billy Byers, Paul Faulise, Rod Levitt, Melba Liston — tb; Julius Watkins — frh; Jerome Richardson, Frank Wess, Phil Woods — as; Eric Dixon — ts, cl; Oliver Nelson — ts; Jerome Richardson — bs; Patti Bown — p; Milt Hinton — b; Bill English — d.

Recorded December 18, 1961. Released in 1962.

From the album The Quintessence (Impulse AS-11)



3. John Coltrane — Up 'Gainst the Wall 3:14

(John Coltrane)

John Coltrane — ts; McCoy Tyner — p; Jimmy Garrison — b; Elvin Jones — d.

Recorded September 18, 1962. Released in 1963.

From the album Impressions (Impulse AS-42)



4. Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison Sextet — Just Us Blues 5:55

(Charles Davis)

Elvin Jones — d; Jimmy Garrison — b; Charles Davis — bs; McCoy Tyner — p.

Recorded August 8, 1963. Released in 1964.

From the album Illumination! (Impulse AS-49)



LP 2 — Side 1

1. John Coltrane — Alabama 5:09

(John Coltrane)

John Coltrane — ts; McCoy Tyner — p; Jimmy Garrison — b; Elvin Jones — d.

Recorded November 18, 1963. Released in 1964.

From the album Live at Birdland (Impulse AS-50)



2. Charles Mingus — Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul 6:31

(Charles Mingus)

Charles Mingus — b; Eddie Preston, Richard Williams — t; Britt Woodman — tb; Don Butterfield — tu; Eric Dolphy — as; Booker Ervin, Dick Hafer — ts; Jerome Richardson — bs; Jaki Byard — p; Walter Perkins — d.

Recorded September 20, 1963. Released in 1964.

From the album Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus (Impulse AS-54)



3. Shirley Scott Trio — Freedom Dance 4:50

(Oliver Nelson)

Shirley Scott — org; Thad Jones, Jerry Kail, Tom McIntosh, Jimmy Nottingham, Ernie Royal — t; Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson, Tom Mitchell — tb; Eddy Manson — harm; Mundell Lowe — g; Art Davis — b; Ed Shaughnessy — d; Joe Venuto — perc; Oliver Nelson — arr, cond.

Recorded August 24, 1963. Released in 1964.

From the album For Members Only (Impulse AS-51)



4. Yusef Lateef — Sister Mamie 5:27

(Yusef Lateef)

Yusef Lateef — shehnai, tamb; Richard Williams — t; Mike Nock — p; Ernie Farrow — b; James Black — d.

Recorded June 29, 1964. Released in 1965.

From the album Live at Pep’s (Impulse AS-69)



LP 2 — Side 2

1. Archie Shepp — Malcolm, Malcolm—Semper Malcolm 4:48

(Archie Shepp)

Archie Shepp — ts, recitation; David Izenzon — b; J.C. Moses — d.

Recorded March 9, 1965. Released in 1965.

From the album Fire Music (Impulse AS-86)



2. Stanley Turrentine — Good Lookin' Out 5:21

(Stanley Turrentine)

Stanley Turrentine — ts; Shirley Scott — org; Ron Carter — b; Mack Simpkins — d.

Recorded April 6, 1966. Released in 1966.

From the album Let It Go (Impulse AS-9115)



3. Earl Hines — Black and Tan Fantasy 5:11

(Duke Ellington–Bubber Miley)

Earl Hines — p; Cat Anderson, Ray Nance — t, Lawrence Brown — tb; Pee Wee Russell — cl; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope — as; Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton — ts; Aaron Bell — b; Sonny Greer — d.

Recorded January 11, 1966. Released in 1966.

From the album Once Upon a Time (Impulse AS-9108)



4. Oliver Nelson — The Rights of All 3:58

(Oliver Nelson)

Oliver Nelson — cond, arr with orchestra incl. Snooky Young — t; Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson — rds; Phil Woods — as; Phil Bodner — eh; Danny Bank — bcl; Hank Jones — el clavinet; Don Butterfield — tu; George Duvivier — b; Grady Tate — d; John F. Kennedy — voice; strings.

Recorded February 16, 1967. Released in 1967.

From the album The Kennedy Dream: A Musical Tribute to John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Impulse AS-9144)



LP 3 — Side 1

1. Pharoah Sanders — The Creator Has a Master Plan (edit) 9:08

(Pharoah Sanders–Amosis Leontopolis Thomas)

Pharoah Sanders — ts; Julius Watkins — frh; James Spaulding — fl; Lonnie Liston Smith — p; Richard Davis, Reggie Workman — b; Billy Hart — d; Nat Bettis — perc; Leon Thomas — vcl, perc.

Recorded February 14, 1969. Released in 1969.

From the album Karma (Impulse AS-9181)



2. John Coltrane & Alice Coltrane — Reverend King 11:03

(John Coltrane)

John Coltrane — ts, perc; Alice Coltrane — p; Pharoah Sanders — ts, perc; Jimmy Garrison — b; Rashied Ali — d; Ray Appleton — perc.

Recorded February 2, 1966. Released in 1969.

From the album Cosmic Music (Impulse AS-9148)



LP 3 — Side 2

1. The Ahmad Jamal Trio — The Awakening 6:22

(Ahmad Jamal)

Ahmad Jamal — p; Jamil Nasser — b; Frank Gant — d.

Recorded February 2, 1970. Released in 1970.

From the album The Awakening (Impulse AS-9194)



2. Albert Ayler — Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe 8:41

(Mary Maria Parks)

Albert Ayler — ts; Bobby Few — p; Bill Folwell — el b [left channel]; Stafford James — b [right channel]; Muhammad Ali — d; Mary Maria Parks — vcl.

Recorded August 26, 1969. Released in 1970.

From the album Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe (Impulse AS-9191)



3. Charlie Haden — We Shall Overcome 1:19

(Guy Carawan–Frank Hamilton–Zilphia Horton–Pete Seeger)

Charlie Haden — b; Michael Mantler — t; Roswell Rudd — tb; Bob Northern — frh; Howard Johnson — tu; Perry Robinson — cl; Gato Barbieri — ts; Dewey Redman — as.

Recorded April 29, 1969. Released in 1970.

From the album Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse AS-9183)



LP 4 — Side 1

1. Alice Coltrane — Blue Nile 7:02

(Alice Coltrane)

Alice Coltrane — harp; Pharoah Sanders — alto fl; Joe Henderson — fl; Ron Carter — b; Ben Riley — d.

Recorded January 26, 1970. Released in 1970.

From the album Ptah, the El Daoud (Impulse AS-9196)



2. Pharoah Sanders — Astral Traveling 5:50

(Lonnie Liston Smith)

Pharoah Sanders — ss; Michael White — vln; Lonnie Liston Smith — el p; Cecil McBee — b; Clifford Jarvis — d; James Jordan — perc.

Recorded November 25, 1970. Released in 1971.

From the album Thembi (Impulse AS-9206)



3. Archie Shepp — Blues for Brother George Jackson 3:52

(Archie Shepp)

Archie Shepp — ts; Clifford Thornton — ct; Roy Burrowes, Charles McGhee, Michael Ridley — t; Charles Greenlee, Charles Stephens, Kiane Zawadi — tb; Hakim Jami — euph; Marion Brown, Clarence White — as; Roland Alexander, Billy Robinson — ts; James Ware — bs; Walter Davis, Jr. — el p; Roland Wilson — el b; Beaver Harris — d; Ollie Anderson, Nene DeFense, Juma Sultan — perc.

Recorded January 24, 25 or 26, 1972. Released in 1972.

From the album Attica Blues (Impulse AS-9222)



4. Michael White — Lament (Mankind) 2:28

(Michael White–Cecil McBee)

Michael White — vln; Cecil McBee — b.

Recorded February 7 or 8, 1973. Released in 1973.

From the album The Land of Spirit and Light (Impulse AS-9241)



LP 4 — Side 2

1. Dewey Redman — Imani 7:09

(Dewey Redman)

Dewey Redman — ts; Ted Daniel — t; Jane Robertson — cello; Sirone — b; Eddie Moore — d, perc; Danny Johnson — perc.

Recorded June 8 or 9, 1973. Released in 1973.

From the album The Ear of the Behearer (Impulse AS-9250)



2. Marion Brown — Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim 6:02

(Harold Budd)

Marion Brown — as; Stanley Cowell — p; Anthony Davis — Fender Rhodes el p; Bill Braynon — celeste; Harold Budd — celeste, gong; Reggie Workman — b; Jimmy Hopps — cymbals; Allen Murphy — bells; Jose Goico — finger cymbals.

Recorded February 19, 1975. Released in 1975.

From the album Vista (Impulse ASD-9304)



3. John Handy — Hard Work 6:58

(John Handy)

John Handy — as, vcl; Hotep Cecil — el kbd; Mike Hoffman — el g; Chuck Rainey — el b; James Gadson —d; Eddie "Bongo" Brown — cga; unknown — vcl, handclaps.

Recorded January 1976. Released in 1976.

From the album Hard Work (Impulse ASD-9314)