CD: John Coltrane The Impulse Albums Vol. 5. New, Sealed. Rare.

I bought the box set some years ago and never opened it. Thought it might be interesting, but as the years went by I just did not have the time to give these CDs a spin...

The five albums in The Impulse Albums Volume Five are generally considered among the more adventurous and challenging recordings associated with John Coltrane, especially compared with earlier classics such as Ballads, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, or A Love Supreme.

Here's a quick overview:

• Transition (recorded 1965)
  A bridge between Coltrane's classic quartet period and his later free-jazz explorations. Still structured, but harmonically and rhythmically more open.
• Live in Seattle (1965)
  Very experimental. Features an expanded ensemble and lengthy improvisations. Often cited as one of Coltrane's first major leaps into free jazz territory.
• Sun Ship (1965)
  One of the final recordings by the classic quartet. Intense, fiery, and often turbulent. Many fans regard it as a masterpiece of late Coltrane.
• Infinity (1972)
  A posthumous release assembled by Alice Coltrane, who added string arrangements after Coltrane's death. It has a spiritual, cosmic quality unlike most of his earlier work.
• Concert in Japan (1966)
  Perhaps the most demanding listen in the set. Extended performances, often 30–60 minutes long, with highly free-form improvisation. This is deep late-period Coltrane.