Blue World (album)

Blue World is a posthumous compilation album by American jazz musician John Coltrane, released in 2019 by Impulse! Records. The album consists of previously unreleased recordings made in 1964 at Van Gelder Studios. The music was originally commissioned by Canadian filmmaker Gilles Groulx as the soundtrack for his 1964 French-language film Le Chat dans le Sac (The Cat in the Bag).

The album features Coltrane's classic quartet: John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. While the music is based on existing Coltrane compositions, such as "Naima," "Village Blues," and "Like Sonny," the versions presented on Blue World are often shorter and feature variations from the studio recordings of those pieces. The album also includes two takes of a previously unknown piece called "Blue World," from which the album takes its name.

The discovery and release of Blue World were significant events for Coltrane enthusiasts, adding to the extensive catalog of recordings from his most creatively fertile period. The album offers a glimpse into Coltrane's willingness to adapt his music for different contexts and provides alternative interpretations of some of his most famous compositions. The album's relatively accessible and concise format may also appeal to listeners new to Coltrane's music.