Tag: John Coltrane

Published July 3, 2020

John Coltrane – Blue Train (1957/2015) [High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-Ray Disc]

Artist: John Coltrane
Title: Blue Train
Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Label: © Blue Note Records/Universal Music Enterprises
Release Date: 1957 (BST 81577/BLP 1577)/2015
Recorded: September 15, 1957 at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey.
Mastered by Alan Yashida, alternate takes Mastered by Robert Vosgien at Capitol Mastering.
Quality: Blu-ray Audio
Length: 01:15:51
Size: 14 GB
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 950 kbps / 1080i / 29,970 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 / 192 kHz / 6838 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 / 192 kHz / 9216 kbps / 24-bit
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 / 192 kHz / 6332 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Embedded: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)

John Coltrane only recorded one album as a leader for Blue Note, but it was the turning point of his career and one of his greatest hours. 31 at the time of 1957’s Blue Train, Coltrane had been largely unknown just two years earlier. In 1955 he began a very important two-year stint with Miles Davis that gave him visibility and found him growing rapidly as an improviser.

By 1957 when he left Davis and became a member of the Thelonious Monk Quartet for a few historic months, Coltrane had his own innovative voice. He was at the top of the field along with Sonny Rollins and was considered a young giant. Coltrane’s style, which often featured him, grouping together an explosive series of notes that were called sheets of sound, was unprecedented and years ahead of his contemporaries.

Blue Train stands as proof of both Trane’s originality and his dazzling style. Heading an all-star hard bop sextet that included the 19-year old Lee Morgan (the brightest new trumpeter in jazz) and trombonist Curtis Fuller, Coltrane took an astounding solo on “Blue Train” (one in which every note in his long improvisation fits perfectly) and introduced what was arguably his greatest composition, “Moment’s Notice.”

All five performances on Blue Train (including a definitive rendition of “I’m Old Fashioned”) are filled with memorable and classic moments. While Coltrane only worked for Alfred Lion on this one occasion, this very stirring set is full of timeless magic. After Blue Train was recorded, there was never again any doubt that John Coltrane was a giant!

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Published July 3, 2020

John Coltrane – Giant Steps (1960) [Japanese SHM-SACD ‘2011, WPGR-10006] {PS3 ISO + FLAC}

History will undoubtedly enshrine this disc as a watershed the likes of which may never truly be appreciated. Giant Steps bore the double-edged sword of furthering the cause of the music as well as delivering it to an increasingly mainstream audience. Although this was John Coltrane’s debut for Atlantic, he was concurrently performing and recording with Miles Davis. Within the space of less than three weeks, Coltrane would complete his work with Davis and company on another genre-defining disc, Kind of Blue, before commencing his efforts on this one. Coltrane (tenor sax) is flanked by essentially two different trios. Recording commenced in early May of 1959 with a pair of sessions that featured Tommy Flanagan (piano) and Art Taylor (drums), as well as Paul Chambers — who was the only bandmember other than Coltrane to have performed on every date. When recording resumed in December of that year, Wynton Kelly (piano) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) were instated — replicating the lineup featured on Kind of Blue, sans Miles Davis of course. At the heart of these recordings, however, is the laser-beam focus of Coltrane’s tenor solos. All seven pieces issued on the original Giant Steps are likewise Coltrane compositions. He was, in essence, beginning to rewrite the jazz canon with material that would be centered on solos — the 180-degree antithesis of the art form up to that point. These arrangements would create a place for the solo to become infinitely more compelling. This would culminate in a frenetic performance style that noted jazz journalist Ira Gitler accurately dubbed “sheets of sound.” Coltrane’s polytonal torrents extricate the amicable and otherwise cordial solos that had begun decaying the very exigency of the genre — turning it into the equivalent of easy listening. He wastes no time as the disc’s title track immediately indicates a progression from which there would be no looking back. Line upon line of highly cerebral improvisation snake between the melody and solos, practically fusing the two. The resolute intensity of “Countdown” does more to modernize jazz in 141 seconds than many artists do in their entire careers. Tellingly, the contrasting and ultimately pastoral “Naima” was the last tune to be recorded, and is the only track on the original long-player to feature the Kind of Blue quartet. What is lost in tempo is more than recouped in intrinsic melodic beauty.

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Published July 3, 2020

John Coltrane – Standard Coltrane (1962) [Analogue Productions 2019] SACD ISO + FLAC

Standard Coltrane consists of tracks recorded in 1958 but only released in 1962 to capitalize on Coltrane’s growing popularity throughout the 60s. The material on the album consists of well known music from Broadway or films, mostly ballads, recorded with the bulk of the Miles Davis band of the day: Wilbur Harden on trumpet and flugelhorn, Red Garland on piano, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. This is a prime example of Coltrane in the middle of his signature “sheets of sound” period.

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Published January 12, 2020

John Coltrane – Blue World (Mono Remastered) (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

In 1964, the National Film Board of Canada asked John Coltrane to record the soundtrack for a French-language film titled ‘Le chat dans le sac” (“The Cat in the Bag”). Amazingly, no announcement was made that the iconic Coltrane was adding new performances to this film. In June of that year, Coltrane’s Classic Quartet entered Rudy Van Gelder’s studio and recorded five previously-recorded Coltrane originals. For many years, viewers of the film who recognized the music thought that they were listening to the original recordings, though in fact they were new and had never been heard. Now, with the release of Blue World , we can hear these newly-discovered recordings for the first time

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Published September 5, 2019

John Coltrane – Om (1967/2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Condemned by many critics as John Coltrane’s worst album, Om suffers only in comparison to the great works that preceded it. Also issued in 1965, Ascension had stunned the jazz world with the blunt force of its innovation – a swirling maelstrom of noise, it was an answer to the challenge that had been posed by Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz several years earlier. For all the sonic assault that Pharoah Sanders and Coltrane mustered up on Ascension, however, it contained some surprisingly clear solos and had the feel of a well-thought-out interplay between all of the musicians on the date, including classic quartet members Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison, and McCoy Tyner. Om, in contrast, seems more like a pure release of energy. Expressions of sanity and organization by the rhythm section seem detached from the wall of sound that Sanders and Coltrane have erected. The best moments come when Coltrane breaks away from Sanders for solos – echoes of Love Supreme can be heard in the repetitive, circular themes. Regardless of its seeming chaos, this is a deeply spiritual work, and can be seen as a darker, more unhinged version of the invocations heard on that album. Indeed, Om resonates with passion and yearning, but has a frantic edge that suggests that opening up to all of that powerful spiritual energy might have been a frightening experience. The music isn’t perfect, as the thematic flow sometimes seems a bit segmented, and talented members of the band are relegated a little too far to the background (like McCoy Tyner, who nevertheless has a beautiful short solo around 13:30). Regardless, Om doesn’t deserve the dismissal it has been given by critics. It is an important work in the history of free jazz that opens up considerably by the end of its 29 minutes, revealing the expansive contents of a jazz master’s mind. AllMusic Review by Stacia Proefrock

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Published August 8, 2019

John Coltrane – Coltrane (First Trane) (1957/2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

As a result of his exposure as a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige Records owner and producer Bob Weinstock offered Coltrane a recording contract. Dated April 9, 1957, it stipulated three albums per year at $300 per album. Coltrane had previously recorded as a sideman, and had co-led a session with Paul Quinichette released in 1959 as Cattin’ with Coltrane and Quinichette, but never as sole bandleader.

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Published June 30, 2019

John Coltrane – Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Newly remastered by Paul Blakemore featuring 37 tracks: Coltrane’s breakout year, when his mature sound first grabbed ears and his own recordings began to sell consistently, was 1958. This release chronicles the exciting story session by session, featuring all 37 tracks Coltrane recorded as a leader or co-leader for the independent Prestige Records label in those twelve months. This collection captures him in creative high gear—developing the signature improvisational style that journalist Ira Gitler famously dubbed “sheets of sound.”

The timely release marks the 70th year since the founding of Prestige and comes just after the 60th anniversary of these recordings.

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Published June 14, 2019

Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims – Tenor Conclave (1956) [APO Remaster 2014] {PS3 ISO + FLAC}

These four sides should not be hard to locate, as the primary participants in this November 30, 1956, session have all issued them within their individual catalogs. However Tenor Conclave was first released as credited to the “leaderless” Prestige All-Stars — consisting of tenor saxophonists John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. Providing support are pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. The Mobley-penned title track commences the effort with the quartet of tenors showing off their stuff in high-flying style. It takes a couple of passes and somewhat of a trained ear to be able to link the players with their contributions, but as is often the case, the whole tends to be greater than the sum of the parts. After a brief introduction with all four rapidly reeling off short riffs, Mobley charges ahead into truly inspired territory. The midtempo take of “Just You, Just Me” keeps things lively with a light swinging pace that is custom-made for bringing the combo’s jocular side to the surface, particularly toward the end as they “trade fours,” with each tenor blowing four bars before passing the melody on. The other Mobley composition is “Bob’s Boys,” and by all accounts it is the most compelling piece on the outing. The blues-based tune rollicks as Coltrane, Mobley, Cohn, and Sims find themselves configured in a seeming myriad of sonic face-offs. Wrapping up Tenor Conclave is an ultra-cool and sophisticated “How Deep Is the Ocean?” Cohn commences the long and luscious reading with a subtle strength, suggesting the powerful undercurrent flowing throughout the number. Also, listeners are treated to what is possibly Garland’s finest interaction, leading right into Sims, Chambers, and finally a sublime Coltrane caboose.

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Published June 5, 2019

John Coltrane – Afro Blue Impressions (1973/2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Concord Music Group will reissue a remastered and expanded edition of John Coltrane’s Afro Blue Impressions album on August 20, 2013. Enhanced by 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, three bonus tracks, and new liner notes, the new reissue celebrates the 40th anniversary of Pablo Records, the jazz label founded by Norman Granz in 1973.

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Published April 16, 2019

The John Coltrane Quartet – Africa/Brass (Remastered) (1961/2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Africa/Brass is the eighth studio album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released in 1961 on Impulse! Records, catalogue A-6. The sixth release for the fledgling label and Coltrane’s first for Impulse!, it features Coltrane’s working quartet augmented by a larger ensemble to bring the total number of participating musicians to 21. Its big band sound, with the unusual instrumentation of French horns and euphonium, presented music very different from anything that had been associated with Coltrane to date.

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Tag: John Coltrane

John Coltrane – Blue Train (1957/2015) [High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-Ray Disc]

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John Coltrane – Giant Steps (1960) [Japanese SHM-SACD ‘2011, WPGR-10006] {PS3 ISO + FLAC}

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John Coltrane – Blue World (Mono Remastered) (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

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Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims – Tenor Conclave (1956) [APO Remaster 2014] {PS3 ISO + FLAC}

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John Coltrane – Afro Blue Impressions (1973/2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

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Tag: John Coltrane

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