A1 - Cherryco
A2 - Focus On Sanity
B1 - The Blessing
B2 - The Invisible
B3 - Bemsha Swing

Recorded on June 28 and July 8, 1960 at Atlantic Studios, New York City.

The Avant-Garde was assembled from two unissued recording sessions at Atlantic Studios in 1960. As Coltrane's fame grew during the 1960s, long after he had stopped recording for the label, Atlantic, like Prestige Records did before it, used unissued recordings to create marketable albums without consulting him. This is the last known album by John Coltrane in this category.

The Avant-Garde features John Coltrane performing compositions of Ornette Coleman with members of Coleman's quartet including Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell

Ornette Coleman attended the Lenox School of Jazz in 1959 with Don Cherry as his private instructor. His education was sponsored by Atlantic Records. Coleman had a revolutionary sound that deviated from conventional jazz (apparent by the lack of harmonies) and that resulted in disrespect by other jazz musicians.

John Coltrane studied with Coleman, and they frequently played together but never made an album together. The Avant-Garde is a result of their mutual respect and friendship. Coltrane, Coleman, and Cherry played together in ensembles as they explored new ways of playing jazz. With this album Coltrane contributed to the formation of free jazz through his "modal school of improvisation". "The Blessing" is the first time he recorded on soprano saxophone.