Haxl

Born September 23, 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina, John Coltrane was always surrounded by music. His father played several instruments sparking Coltrane’s study of E-flat horn and clarinet. While in high school, Coltrane’s musical influences shifted to the likes of Lester Young and Johnny Hodges prompting him to switch to alto saxophone. He continued his musical training in Philadelphia at Granoff Studios and the Ornstein School of Music. He was called to military service during WWII, where he performed in the U.S. Navy Band in Hawaii.

~John Coltrane’s first album as leader, Dakar—recorded on April 20, 1957—is a usurper~

After the war, Coltrane began playing tenor saxophone with the Eddie “CleanHead” Vinson Band, and was later quoted as saying, “A wider area of listening opened up for me. There were many things that people like Hawk, and Ben and Tab Smith were doing in the ‘40’s that I didn’t understand, but that I felt emotionally.” Prior to joining the Dizzy Gillespie band, Coltrane performed with Jimmy Heath where his passion for experimentation began to take shape. However, it was his work with the Miles Davis Quintet in 1958 that would lead to his own musical evolution. ” Miles music gave me plenty of freedom,” he once said. During that period, he became known for using the three-on-one chord approach, and what has been called the ‘sheets of sound,’ a method of playing multiple notes at one time.

~John Coltrane’s first album as leader, Dakar—recorded on April 20, 1957—is a usurper~ “Mary’s Blues”

By 1960 Coltrane had formed his own quartet which included pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison. Eventually adding players like Eric Dolphy, and Pharoah Sanders. The John Coltrane Quartet created some of the most innovative and expressive music in Jazz history including the hit albums: “My Favorite Things,” “Africa Brass,” ” Impressions,” ” Giant Steps,” and his monumental work “A Love Supreme” which attests to the power, glory, love, and greatness of God. Coltrane felt we must all make a conscious effort to effect positive change in the world, and that his music was an instrument to create positive thought patterns in the minds of people.

~John Coltrane’s first album as leader, Dakar—recorded on April 20, 1957—is a usurper~ “Route 4”

In 1967, liver disease took Coltrane’s life leaving many to wonder what might have been. Yet decades after his departure his music can be heard in motion pictures, on television and radio. Recent film projects that have made references to Coltrane’s artistry in dialogue or musical compositions include, “Mr. Holland’s Opus”, “The General’s Daughter”, “Malcolm X”, “Mo Better Blues”, “Jerry McGuire”, “White Night”, “The Last Graduation”, “Come Unto Thee”, “Eyes On The Prize II” and “Four Little Girls”. Also, popular television series such as “NYPD Blue”, “The Cosby Show”, “Day’s Of Our Lives”, “Crime Stories” and “ER”, have also relied on the beautiful melodies of this distinguished saxophonist.

~John Coltrane’s first album as leader, Dakar—recorded on April 20, 1957—is a usurper~ “Velvet Scene”

In 1972, “A Love Supreme” was certified gold by the RIAA for exceeding 500,000 units in Japan. This jazz classic and the classic album “My Favorite Things” were certified gold in the United States in 2001.

In 1982, the RIAA posthumously awarded John Coltrane a Grammy Award of ” Best Jazz Solo Performance” for the work on his album, “Bye Bye Blackbird”. In 1997 he received the organizations highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award.

~John Coltrane’s first album as leader, Dakar—recorded on April 20, 1957—is a usurper~ “Witches Pit”

On June 18, 1993 Mrs. Alice Coltrane received an invitation to The White House from former President and Mrs. Clinton, in appreciation of John Coltrane’s historical appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.

In 1995, John Coltrane was honored by the United States Postal Service with a commemorative postage stamp. Issued as part of the musicians and composers series, this collectors item remains in circulation.

In 1999, Universal Studios and its recording division MCA Records recognized John Coltrane’s influence on cinema by naming a street on the Universal Studios lot in his honor.

~John Coltrane’s first album as leader, Dakar—recorded on April 20, 1957—is a usurper~ “Catwalk”

In 2001, The NEA and the RIAA released 360 songs of the Century . Among them was John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things.”

The recording of John Coltrane’s Lush Life took place in three sessions, two in 1957 and one in 1958. The first three tracks are performed in a trio setting, beginning with the ballad “Like Someone In Love”. Here Trane combines a slow, smooth tone with fast melodic runs. The second number, “I Love You”, opens with an exotic drum and bass rhythm. Bassist Earl May and drummer Arthur Taylor move between this rhythm for Trane’s melody and straight swing for the improvisation. After the third piece, “Trane’s Slo Blues”, Lush Lifemoves in a new direction. Trane’s arrangement of the Billy Strayhorn piece is much longer than the other selections on the album, and features solos from pianist Red Garland and trumpeter Donald Byrd. The rhythm section explores different ways of playing under the improvisers, sometimes with very minimal accompaniment. Lush Lifeis a fantastic example of Trane’s mastery of straight-ahead chord changes.

Tracklist:

1. Like Someone In Love
2. I Love You
3. Trane’s Slo Blues
4. Lush Life
5. I Hear A Rhapsody

John Coltrane - Like Someone In Love

John Coltrane - I Love You

John Coltrane Trane’s Slo Blues

John Coltrane - Lush Life

John Coltrane - I Hear A Rhapsody

With this session, recorded in the summer of 1957, John Coltrane came out from behind the harmonic safety net of a three-horn frontline to focus on his own imposing gifts as an improviser. As the only horn on TRANEING IN, the young tenor giant revels in the spotlight, demonstrating some of the hard-won lessons from his long apprenticeship with Thelonious Monk’s group that very summer at New York’s Five Spot club.

Red Garland basks in the cruise-control cool of the Art Taylor/Paul Chambers rhythm team on the title tune, and his jaunty opening chords serve to italicize this blues’ deep, deep groove. When Coltrane enters, the rhythm section ups the ante, from Basie-esque tippling to a driving testimonial. Coltrane’s dense harmonic variations unwind in nervous, compulsive layers of sound. Yet for all his complexity, a fervent preacher’s cry remains at the heart of his every utterance. After a stunning Chambers solo, Garland returns with intricate Bud Powell-like variations and stately, driving block chords which incite Coltrane to further melodic delirium.

Tracklist:

1. Traneing In

2. Slow Dance

3. Bass Blues

4. You Leave Me Breathless

5. Soft Lights and Sweet Music

Starting with “Traneing In” …..

John Coltrane - Slow Dance

John Coltrane - Bass Blues

John Coltrane - You Leave Me Breathless

John Coltrane - Soft Lights and Sweet Music

Imagine that New York’s 52nd Street jazz scene never died and John Coltrane lived his life out there, playing an endless series of jam sessions. What if he had never passed through the portal of Miles’ and McCoy’s modal playing, down the rivers of Africa and the Middle East, propelled by the Black experience of the 1960s?

Blue Train gives a taste of what that might have been like, as well as a taste of what was to come. This reissue of the 1957 album finds Trane blowing hard on one of his first albums as a band leader. With one foot still in the Charlie Parker catalog and one ear turned toward hard bop, the album sounds like a typical club set. The album is best known for the title track, Coltrane’s first notable composition. His solo starts off with an announcement that he has something to say, but quickly moves toward Birdland. “Moment’s Notice” and “Locomotion” also demonstrate that, even before his work was informed by his eventual stylistic uniqueness and spiritual depth, Trane could write a compelling, well-organized tune.

The group’s rendering of the Kern/Mercer ballad “I’m Old Fashioned” and Trane’s “Lazy Bird” are a let down after the first three, although each has some nice playing by various band members.

The album benefits from Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones from Miles’ band laying down the bass and drums. Kenny Drew’s plays bluesy piano completes the excellent rhythm section. A young Lee Morgan contributes to the boppish flavor of the album with his Gillespie-ish licks (he even played a bent up horn). Curtis Fuller passes up the rapid fire riffing trombonists sometimes employ in trying to keep up with their more nimble bandmates in favor of a more nuanced, rhythmic variety. And he burns when he has to.

From Blue Train to Giant Steps just two years later was indeed a giant step, and to A Love Supreme there’s a distance that’s hard to contemplate. Still, this is a wonderfully energetic and enjoyable album. That surpassing greatness of spirit isn’t quite there yet, but Trane as just an “ordinary” great tenor player is still quite something, on a par with Clifford Brown, early Rollins, Horace Silver, and Art Blakey from that era.

The reissue gives you two alternate takes of the title track—completists, knock yourself out. Those with SACD players will appreciate the high-resolution layer; it’s warmer and sweeter and shows off the rhythm section quite well.

Tracklist:

1. Blue Train

2. Moment’s Notice

3. Locomotion

4. I’m Old Fashioned

5. Lazy Bird

2003 bonus tracks :

“Blue Train” (alternate take)

“Lazy Bird” (alternate take)

John Coltrane - Blue Train

John Coltrane - Moment’s Notice

John Coltrane - Locomotion

John Coltrane - I’m Old Fashioned

John Coltrane - Lazy Bird

2003 bonus tracks :

“Blue Train” (alternate take)

“Lazy Bird” (alternate take)

John Coltrane’s earliest recordings for Prestige found him in the role of host to some excellent improvising saxophonists, modernists and classicists alike. At the same time as he engaged in these conservative blowing sessions, Trane was taking stock of himself as a composer and improviser. Trane felt the influence of Miles and Monk very keenly in 1957, and thenceforth there’d be a keen edge of discovery to his music.

Still, his blowing in more or less traditional contexts such as CATTIN’ WITH COLTRANE AND QUINICHETTE embraces classic values, even as he strains to break free of the form. Coltrane is a gracious host, and often defers to Quinichette, letting the old master take the lead. But Trane gets his licks in. Listen to his subtle intervals behind Quinichette on the head to “Anatomy” (our old friend “All The Things You Are”), before launching into a rhythmically complex solo; then check out Quinichette’s dulcet, witty response. Pianist Mal Waldron’s solo is heroically laid back, building subtle melodic sandcastles without upsetting the groove. The closing exchanges are particularly sweet, as Trane pares down his phrasing to concentrate on the sweetest notes, and play to Quinichette’s strengths.

The coy easygoing blues of “Cattin’” is driven along by Waldron’s thoughtful orchestrations, a new suit of chords for each stylist—a Monkish comp behind Coltrane, languid nibbles and pecks for the elegant Quinichette. Drummer Ed Thigpen’s buoyant intro launches the Basie-ish groove of “Sunday,” a classic tenor battle. Quinichette floats through the theme on a turquoise cloud. Not for nothing was he known as the Vice-President, so sincere was his admiration for the Prez (Lester Young), although his rhythmic ideas aren’t as sophisticated. Coltrane follows with uncharacteristic restraint, poking around for spaces to hide, then reemerges with hot flashes of melody, the ultimate expression of Coleman Hawkins’ sheets of arpeggios.