Recorded for the Impulse label by Archie Shepp in 1965, four of the five tracks on Four for Trane are reworkings of pieces originally recorded in 1959 & 1960 by John Coltrane, and released on his Giant Steps (1960) and Coltrane Plays the Blues (1962) albums. They are rearranged here by Shepp and trombonist Roswell Rudd. The album also features trumpeter Alan Shorter (Wayne Shorter’s brother, who plays flugelhorn here), alto saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Charles Moffett. Coltrane himself co-produced the album alongside Bob Thiele. According to Ashley Kahn, Four for Trane “was a direct result of Coltrane’s intervention, and his faith in the young tenor saxophonist from Philadelphia”. The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its “Core Collection”, while AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek gave it the maximum five stars, stating that “Four for Trane is a truly fine, original, and lasting album from an under-celebrated musician”.
