The Canadian filmmaker Gilles Groulx’s festival circuit (winning numerous breakthrough movie Le chat dans le sac awards). In the years that followed its — depicting two young lovers navigating initial release, it remained more their relationship in 1964 Montreal historically regarded than publicly — opens with a startling music cue. available. Barbara and Claude, the two primary characters, have just introduced But by the digital era, the story was themselves directly to the camera. They hiding in plain sight. One could find Le embrace in slow-motion as the film’s title chat streaming online as well as on the appears and, just as they separate, the website for Canada’s National Film Board music of John Coltrane kicks in at top (NFB), the government agency that volume: “Naima,” the wistful ballad the produced the film. saxophonist named for his first wife and which was first heard on his Giant Steps Then there are those who have known album five years earlier. about the jazz legend’s role in Le chat since it happened, among them the film’s By 1964, Coltrane was a leading jazz surviving participants like the actor figure and certainly well-known among Barbara Ulrich. She played “Barbara” in jazz enthusiasts, but his music had yet to the film — her first major cinematic role reach universal adoration nor was it free — and she became Gilles Groulx’s life of controversy. Opening a movie with the companion in real life, uniquely music of John Coltrane — even an positioning her to know the why and how independent film like Le chat dans le sac of Coltrane’s contribution. “I met Gilles — was an unusual choice at that time, and when I did the screen test for Le chat and a bold statement in itself. it turned out we were both jazz fans,” she says. “When we moved in together, it What’s more remarkable, as “Naima” turned out we had many of the same tracks for its full, four-minute duration albums — jazz was holiness to Gilles and while Barbara and Claude continue to he had every Coltrane album that ever define who they are (young, searching) came out. Coltrane to him was an absolute and where they are (Montreal), is the master.” realization that this performance of “Naima” is in fact an unheard studio Montreal in the 1950s and ’60s was recording featuring his classic 1961-1965 not only a jazz-friendly city but a quartet: pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist destination where black Americans could Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin walk and breathe a little easier, away from Jones. In fact, throughout the film’s the prevalent racism south of the 78-minute duration, a number of fresh Canadian border, as Ulrich relates: versions of Coltrane tunes figure prominently on the soundtrack: “Village At that time there were a lot of Blues” and “Out of This World” (here African Americans who had moved titled “Blue World,” a contrafact of the to Montreal and there wasn’t the Harold Arlen original). same discrimination and segregation as in the States. So all the jazz That Coltrane was approached in 1964 to musicians would come up and play record music for Le chat dans le sac was here and Stanley Street was where largely unknown until a few years ago, all the bohemian cafés were, like even by jazz historians and other experts; The Little Vienna Club, and places the date never appeared in the usual that specialized in jazz — Rockhead’s record company or studio logs. Paradise and La tête de l’art. I saw Another reason is that Le chat was an all of the groups that came to underground art-house hit in its day, its Montreal — Horace Silver, Art Blakey, impact limited further by the fact that it just to name a few. Coltrane came, was distributed almost exclusively in too. I remember Gilles and I saw him Francophone territories and on the with the quartet with Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison. case the unraveling of a romance along Gilles told me that Garrison helped lines of contemporary politics and social make the connection to Coltrane concerns) to reveal itself — he wanted something special to in everyday situations at a natural, help him realize his first feature film. sometimes desultory pace.

The Montreal-born Groulx shot his first The limited budget, coupled with Groulx’s film — an experimental silent — priority in minimizing independently in 1954 and eventually the polished, overwrought feel of a studio- joined the NFB to produce documentary produced dramatic film led shorts exploring such Canadian events as a him to cast two unproven actors as snowshoe convention and a boxing his leads, using their real names for their competition characters: Claude Godbout as “Claude” and Ulrich. Groulx himself wrote, directed and with minimal narration or interpretation, edited the film, typical of the “candid eye” aesthetic of the as he had with his documentaries. (Ulrich: time (Candid Eye was the title of an “I always say there’s a difference between a influential Canadian Broadcasting filmmaker and a film director. Gilles Corporation documentary series). With an considered himself to be a filmmaker in the air of dispassion, Groulx’s work also sense that he had a holistic approach.”) He reflected a certain political sensibility, was well into the editing process in the focusing on working-class life and spring of 1964 when Groulx shared with concerns. And, in presenting his hisnew partner his intention of reaching films in French, the filmmaker broke out to a favorite jazz musician: significant ground at the NFB, soon reflecting the growing frustration among He said, “I think I’m going to ask French-speaking Canadians that would Coltrane to do the music.” He knew lead to the Québecois separatist movement Jimmy Garrison through a woman in the 1960s. from Florida — Ruth Eppinger — a recurring figure in his documentary Le chat, in fact, had started as a Voir Miami [1962]. She introduced documentary on the general topic of winter. them. I remember he told me he was But, in what proved a major career turn for going to ask Coltrane. I said, “Great, Groulx, he boldly decided to repurpose the fantastic! Do you really think he’ll bare-boned budget to fund a feature film on say yes?” He said, “Well, if I don’t the demise of a young relationship, even ask I won’t know.” before gaining permission from his higher-ups. Chronique d’une rupture was Groulx’s decision to use jazz fell in its working title. The filmmaker pushed line with a number of films associated with forward, eventually gaining proper the French New Wave: Godard’s approval and shot the film using techniques À bout de souffle (1960) employed Martial he had helped Solal to create a fleet-fingered jazz piano develop among fellow Quebecois soundtrack, while Roger Vadim’s Les documentarians (a style collectively referred liaisons dangereuses (1959) used to as “Cinema Direct”, much Thelonious Monk and Duke Jordan in the same vein as France’s New Wave performances and showed Art Blakey and genre): single, hand-held camera shots, other jazz musicians onscreen. Most extended takes and minimal edits, voice- famously, Louis Malle’s directorial debut overs disassociated from the on-screen Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (1958) featured action, ‘interviews’ spoken directly to the a melancholy, modal-based soundtrack camera, and improvised dialogue allowing created — scene by scene — by Miles Davis the primary theme of the film (in this leading a small French jazz ensemble. In contrast, Coltrane did not create music Notably, Coltrane recorded two other studio shaped by what he saw; albums that year — Crescent and A Love given the technology of the day and again, Supreme. Both pointed to the extended Groulx’s limited resources, canvases and spiritual vibe that became his the saxophonist did not benefit from seeing musical signature for the remainder of his any version of Le chat before recording the life; the Blue World date was the rare look music for it. back at the songs he had written or adapted as he deepened and developed his musical The session took place on the afternoon of identity: steps that had brought him to the June 24, 1964 at Van Gelder’s studio, with heights of A Love Supreme and would Groulx himself in attendance. Ulrich recalls continue to propel his music higher. that Groulx had driven down from Montreal the night before “in a Film Board And what of the relationship between Gilles car because he was on a Film Board Groulx and John Coltrane? Ulrich still sees assignment,” and: them as two peas in the same creative pod — deep thinkers who worked diligently on Gilles had a list of the music he recreating their respective modes of wanted and later he told me when expression. Both tall and quiet. Both deeply he gave the list to Coltrane, Coltrane philosophical and self-critical: “When Gilles said, “Okay, I can do this — I can’t finished his films he hated them. He was do that, it’s not mine. OK I get it, extremely demanding of himself. But with I know what you want.” Then they Le chat, he was always terribly cognizant of just started jamming and recorded the fact that Coltrane accepted to do the for several hours. Then Rudy gave music and, for him, Coltrane remained one Gilles the tape and that was it. of the greatest.” When he got back he was absolutely ecstatic. He knew exactly where he Ulrich recalls catching the Coltrane quartet was going to use the music in the at least one more time in Montreal after Le film. I said, “So how was it?” He was chat was released, “…and between sets smiling; he showed me the tape and Coltrane came to sit at our table and so did then he took it to the Film Board and Jimmy Garrison. Coltrane was a minimal I never saw it again. speaker and so was Gilles, so they got along really, really well. Of course, I was so impressionable that I just sat there and These new versions, while bearing familiar didn’t know what to say.” melodies, offer fresh updates on older material — something the ever-progressing Two years later, Groulx and Ulrich received a Coltrane hardly ever permitted himself in call. “When John died, his wife Alice phoned the studio. From 1959-on, there was always us to tell us about it, which goes to show he new material to record and new strategies must have talked about Gilles. It was and challenges to explore. For this reason terribly sad to get the news, and then of alone, Blue World offers a special course Gilles spoke about his trip to New opportunity, which is the chance to Jersey. Years later he still talked about that compare these versions with previous session, how incredible it was. At the end he perspectives, revealing both Coltrane’s would always say the same thing. “Oh well, personal progress and the interactive you know, Coltrane didn’t talk a lot.” consistency and sonic details the Classic Quartet had firmly established as their — Ashley Kahn collective signature by 1964. This signature was so assured and dramatic, so buoyant and different from the sound Coltrane had delivered before.

All compositions by John Coltrane (JOWCOL Music)

John Coltrane – Tenor Saxophone To view Le chat dans le sac in its entirety, please visit: McCoy Tyner – Piano English: https://www.nfb.ca/film/cat_in_the_bag/ Jimmy Garrison – Bass French: https://www.onf.ca/film/chat_dans_le_sac/

Elvin Jones – Drums The NFB is Canada’s public producer of award-winning creative documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories and participatory experiences. NFB productions have won over 7,000 awards, including 24 Canadian Recorded and Mixed by Screen Awards, 18 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 100 Genies. To access NFB works, visit NFB.ca or download Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder its apps for mobile devices. According to researcher Wolf Schmaler, the following tracks appear Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ in the soundtrack of the film Le chat dans le sac: “Naima (Take 1)” on June 24, 1964 appears 1:54 to 6:17 in the film, and the complete take is used. Mastered by Kevin Reeves at “Village Blues (Take 2)” appears 6:56 to 9:28 in the film, from the Universal Music Mastering, beginning of the track until 2:33. “Blue World” appears in two places New York, NY in the film, from 41:20 to 42:14 and from 46:30 to 49:20.

Original recording produced by Special thanks to Michele Anthony, Chris Butler, Michael Cuscuna, John Coltrane Chris DeVito, Eric Fillion, Michael Frisch, Yasuhiro Fujioka, Blue World produced by Ken Druker Claude Godbout, Jane Gowen, Sir Lucian Grainge, Mary Graziano, Executive Producer: Ravi Coltrane Jamie Krents, Dr. Lewis Porter, Bruce Resnikoff, Wolf Schmaler, Executive Producer for UMe: Dickon Stainer, Barbara Ulrich & David Wild Harry Weinger All tracks previously unreleased. Special thanks to filmmaker Gilles Groulx (1931-1994) whose tenacity

and love for the music of John Coltrane Original ¼” analog mono tapes were used for all tracks. made this recording possible. Minor tape anomalies that may be heard are a by-product of the historical nature of this material. An Impulse! Records/Universal Music Enterprises release; ℗ © 2019 UMG Recordings Inc., 1755 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Distributed by Universal Music Enterprises, A Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. All rights reserved. FBI Anti-Piracy Warning: Unauthorized Creative Direction: Josh Cheuse copying is punishable under federal law. Design: House @ Intro, London

vervelabelgroup.com Cover Photo: © Jim Marshall Photography, LLC universalmusicenterprises.com Additional Photography: © Chuck Stewart Photography, LLC [images provided by Fireball Entertainment Group]

Project Director/Archival Research for the NFB: Frédéric Savard

A&R Manager: Natalie Weber Marketing: Oliver Schrage Production & Release Coordination: Eric Neuser

UMe Business Affairs: Athena Rapis

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