Coltrane Jazz
View on Wikipedia
| Coltrane Jazz | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January or February 1961[1][2][3] | |||
| Recorded |
| |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 38:51 original LP 63:00 CD reissue | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Nesuhi Ertegün | |||
| John Coltrane chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | |
| DownBeat | |
Coltrane Jazz is a studio album by the jazz musician John Coltrane. It was released in early 1961 on Atlantic Records.[1][2][3][9] Most of the album features Coltrane playing with his former Miles Davis bandmates, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb during two sessions in November and December, 1959. The exception is the track "Village Blues", which was recorded October 21, 1960. "Village Blues" comes from the first recording session featuring Coltrane playing with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, who toured and recorded with Coltrane as part of his celebrated "classic quartet" from 1960 to 1965.
Background
[edit]In 1959, Miles Davis' business manager Harold Lovett negotiated a contract for Coltrane with Atlantic, the terms including a $7000 annual guarantee.[10] After having recorded most of Giant Steps in May of that year, Coltrane started having bridge problems, and did not return to a recording studio for six months.[11] When he returned to the studio in November and December for the Coltrane Jazz recording sessions, he employed the rhythm section from the Miles Davis Quintet. The sessions yielded the bulk of Coltrane Jazz, and the track "Naima," which was included on the Giant Steps album.[12] "Like Sonny," a tribute to colleague Sonny Rollins,[13] is based on a melodic figure that Sonny Rollins can be heard playing at 3:22 during his solo on "My Old Flame" on Kenny Dorham's 1957 album Jazz Contrasts. (Coltrane made one further studio recording of "Like Sonny" in September 1960 for Roulette Records, who issued the piece under the title "Simple Like" in 1962 on the album "The Best of Birdland: Volume 1".)
After leaving Davis's band in the spring of 1960, Coltrane formed his first touring quartet for a residency at the Jazz Gallery club in Manhattan. Coltrane initially hired pianist Steve Kuhn and drummer Pete "La Roca" Sims for his group, along with bassist Steve Davis, but by September, the quartet's rhythm section consisted of Tyner, Jones, and Davis.[14] This group entered the studio on October 21, recording "Village Blues" at the beginning of the week of sessions that produced Coltrane's My Favorite Things album.
On June 20, 2000, Rhino Records reissued Coltrane Jazz as part of its Atlantic 50th Anniversary Jazz Gallery series. Included were four bonus tracks, two of which had appeared in 1975 on the Atlantic compilation Alternate Takes, the remaining pair earlier issued on The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings in 1995. Two bonus tracks, the alternate versions of "Like Sonny", had been recorded at the March 26, 1959 sessions that were not used for Giant Steps.[15]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by John Coltrane except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Little Old Lady" | November 24, 1959 | 4:28 | |
| 2. | "Village Blues" | October 21, 1960 | 5:23 | |
| 3. | "My Shining Hour" | December 2, 1959 | 4:54 | |
| 4. | "Fifth House" | December 2, 1959 | 4:44 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Harmonique" | December 2, 1959 | 4:13 | |
| 2. | "Like Sonny" | December 2, 1959 | 5:54 | |
| 3. | "I'll Wait and Pray" |
| November 24, 1959 | 3:35 |
| 4. | "Some Other Blues" | December 2, 1959 | 5:40 |
2000 reissue bonus tracks
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Like Sonny" (alternate version 1) | March 26, 1959 | 6:07 | |
| 10. | "I'll Wait and Pray" (alternate take) |
| November 24, 1959 | 3:30 |
| 11. | "Like Sonny" (alternate version 2) | March 26, 1959 | 8:15 | |
| 12. | "Village Blues" (alternate take) | October 21, 1960 | 6:17 |
Personnel
[edit]March 26, 1959 ("Like Sonny")
[edit]November 24, 1959 & December 2, 1959
[edit]- John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
- Wynton Kelly – piano
- Paul Chambers – bass
- Jimmy Cobb – drums
October 21, 1960 ("Village Blues")
[edit]- John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
- McCoy Tyner – piano
- Steve Davis – bass
- Elvin Jones – drums
Production
[edit]- Nesuhi Ertegün – production
- Tom Dowd, Phil Iehle – engineering
- Lee Friedlander – photography
- Eutemey – cover design
- Zita Carno – liner notes
- Patrick Milligan – reissue supervision
- Dan Hersch – digital remastering
- Rachel Gutek – reissue design
- Hugh Brown – reissue art direction
- Neil Tessler – reissue liner notes
- Vanessa Atkins – reissue editorial supervision
- Shawn Amos – reissue editorial coordination
References
[edit]- ^ a b Editorial Staff, Cash Box (January 28, 1961). "Atlantic's LP Kick-off for 1961" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Editorial Staff, Billboard (January 30, 1961). "Coltrane Jazz". The Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b DeVito, Chris; Fujioka, Yasuhiro; Schmaler, Wolf; Wild, David (2013). Porter, Lewis (ed.). The John Coltrane Reference. New York/Abingdon: Routledge. p. 570. ISBN 978-1135112578.
- ^ Coltrane Jazz at AllMusic
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 286. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. US: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 46. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ De Micheal, Don (March 16, 1961). "In Review". DownBeat. 28 (4): 22–24.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- ^ Editorial Staff, Cash Box (February 11, 1961). "Coltrane Jazz" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Lewis Porter. John Coltrane: His Life and Music. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1999. ISBN 0-472-10161-7, pp. 117-8.
- ^ Ben Ratliff. Coltrane: The Story of A Sound. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. ISBN 978-0-374-12606-3, p. 53.
- ^ Porter, p. 361
- ^ Porter, pp. 156-7.
- ^ Porter, pp. 171-180.
- ^ Coltrane Jazz. Rhino R2 75204 liner notes, p. 11.
Coltrane Jazz
View on GrokipediaBackground and Context
Album Development
In 1959, John Coltrane signed a contract with Atlantic Records, transitioning from his ongoing obligations at Prestige Records where he had primarily recorded as a sideman and in early leadership capacities. The agreement, facilitated by Atlantic co-founder Nesuhi Ertegun, provided Coltrane with an annual guarantee of $7,000 along with provisions for enhanced artistic freedom, enabling him to pursue more ambitious projects as a bandleader. This deal also included a bonus in the form of a new Lincoln Continental automobile, reflecting the label's investment in his rising prominence.[4] Coltrane's readiness for this shift stemmed from his recent departures from influential ensembles, including Thelonious Monk's quartet in late 1957 and a temporary break from Miles Davis's group earlier that year due to personal challenges, before rejoining Davis in early 1958. These experiences sharpened Coltrane's improvisational voice and exposed him to diverse harmonic approaches, fostering a desire for greater leadership autonomy amid his growing quartet activities. Despite ongoing Prestige obligations that extended into 1961, Coltrane sought a platform to solidify his role as a primary creative force.[5] Nesuhi Ertegun actively scouted Coltrane during this period, leading negotiations that secured his commitment to Atlantic and positioned the label to capture his evolving sound. Ertegun, known for championing innovative jazz talent, viewed Coltrane as a pivotal artist whose intensity could elevate Atlantic's roster alongside figures like Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman. The signing underscored Atlantic's strategy to attract forward-thinking musicians amid the label's expansion in the late 1950s.[6] Early 1959 discussions between Coltrane, Ertegun, and the production team centered on crafting an album that emphasized hard bop structures while integrating modal influences drawn from Coltrane's concurrent work with Davis on Kind of Blue. This approach aimed to distinguish the project from Coltrane's Prestige output, which often featured looser jam sessions and sideman contributions, allowing for a more cohesive showcase of his quartet's disciplined yet exploratory interplay.[7]Role in Coltrane's Career
Coltrane Jazz marked a pivotal moment in John Coltrane's transition from prominent sideman to established bandleader, following his influential tenures with Miles Davis from 1955 to 1957 and Thelonious Monk in 1957, during which he honed his improvisational skills on numerous recordings.[8] As his second album for Atlantic Records after the technically demanding Giant Steps (released 1960), it represented a consolidation of his leadership role, allowing Coltrane to assert greater creative control over ensemble dynamics and original compositions.[3] This shift was underscored by his signing with Atlantic in 1959, which provided the platform for him to develop his voice beyond collaborative settings.[8] The album served as a thematic bridge between the chromatic complexity and rapid chord changes of Giant Steps—often seen as Coltrane's bebop pinnacle—and a more grounded hard bop approach, emphasizing blues-inflected accessibility and rhythmic drive that appealed to evolving jazz sensibilities.[9] Recorded across sessions in late 1959 and 1960, Coltrane Jazz captured Coltrane in a phase of artistic maturation, blending technical prowess with melodic clarity to create a discographic link in his oeuvre that balanced innovation with familiarity.[10] This consolidation phase highlighted his ability to navigate post-bop structures while foreshadowing modal explorations, without delving into full abstraction.[3] The album's "Village Blues" featured an early incarnation with Tyner, bassist Steve Davis, and Jones, preceding Garrison's arrival. In the broader 1960-1961 context, Coltrane Jazz coincided with the formation of his classic quartet, which began forming in 1960 with pianist McCoy Tyner (joining mid-year), drummer Elvin Jones (April 1960), and later bassist Jimmy Garrison (January 1961), defining his sound for years.[8] During this period, Coltrane began experimenting with spiritual jazz elements—drawing from his deepening interest in Eastern philosophies and African American spiritual traditions—though these influences remained subtle and not yet dominant in the album's hard bop framework.[9] The recording's emphasis on quartet interplay laid essential groundwork for these pursuits, evident in live performances like "Spiritual" at the Village Vanguard in late 1961.[8] By positioning Coltrane's tenor saxophone at the forefront of blues standards and originals, Coltrane Jazz helped broaden his reputation beyond niche avant-garde listeners, attracting mainstream jazz audiences through its energetic yet approachable style and commercial viability on Atlantic.[10] This release solidified his status as a versatile innovator during the Atlantic years (1959-1961), enhancing his profile as a bandleader capable of bridging experimental edges with popular appeal.[9]Recording and Production
Session Details
The recording sessions for Coltrane Jazz were held at Atlantic Studios in New York City across multiple dates in 1959 and 1960, capturing a mix of standards and originals with varying personnel drawn from Coltrane's associations at the time. The earliest session contributing to the album took place on March 26, 1959, during which alternate takes of "Like Sonny" were recorded, featuring Coltrane on tenor saxophone alongside pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor.[11] These takes, initially intended for other projects like Giant Steps, were later considered for inclusion but not used on the original release of Coltrane Jazz.[2] The bulk of the album's material emerged from two sessions later that year on November 24 and December 2, 1959, both utilizing the rhythm section from Miles Davis's band—pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb—providing a cohesive, swinging foundation for Coltrane's tenor saxophone. The November 24 session yielded "Little Old Lady" (master 3885) and "I'll Wait and Pray" (master 3886), while the December 2 session produced the remaining core tracks: "My Shining Hour" (master 3891), "Fifth House" (master 3892), "Harmonique" (master 3895), "Like Sonny" (master 3896), and "Some Other Blues" (master 3897).[11] These approximately 3- to 4-hour sessions emphasized live ensemble performances captured on Atlantic's multi-track equipment, with several alternate takes recorded but excluded from the initial LP to streamline the track selection.[2] A final session on October 21, 1960, recorded "Village Blues" (master 5118), featuring Coltrane leading his emerging classic quartet with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis, and drummer Elvin Jones; this marked an early studio document of the group's chemistry before their Impulse! era.[11] The use of 3-track recording throughout the project allowed for some post-production flexibility, though the album prioritized unadorned quartet interplay over extensive editing.[12]Personnel and Production Team
The recording sessions for Coltrane Jazz featured musicians primarily from John Coltrane's working quartet drawn from his time with Miles Davis, with one later session introducing members of his emerging classic quartet.March 26, 1959 Session
This session, held at Atlantic Studios in New York City, produced the track "Like Sonny" and involved the following personnel:| Musician | Instrument | Contribution Notes |
|---|---|---|
| John Coltrane | Tenor saxophone | Leader and composer; provided the driving improvisational lines central to the hard bop style of the track.[13] |
| Tommy Flanagan | Piano | Delivered supportive comping and solos, as part of Coltrane's early Atlantic sessions leading to Giant Steps.[12] |
| Paul Chambers | Bass | Anchored the groove with walking lines and solid timekeeping, leveraging his familiarity with Coltrane from prior collaborations.[12] |
| Art Taylor | Drums | Supplied swinging propulsion, emphasizing his role in post-bop ensembles of the era.[12] |
November 24 and December 2, 1959 Sessions
These sessions at Atlantic Studios captured the bulk of the album's material, using the same core quartet as described—Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Kelly on piano, Chambers on bass, and Cobb on drums.October 21, 1960 Overdub Session
The October 21, 1960, session at Atlantic Studios recorded the track "Village Blues," featuring a shift to Coltrane's evolving quartet lineup:| Musician | Instrument | Contribution Notes |
|---|---|---|
| John Coltrane | Tenor saxophone | Retained leadership, infusing the blues form with modal explorations that previewed his future quartet sound.[12] |
| McCoy Tyner | Piano | Introduced harmonic richness and block-chord voicings, marking his early integration as Coltrane's primary pianist.[12] |
| Steve Davis | Bass | Provided steady, intuitive support in the lower register, bridging Coltrane's Davis-era and Impulse! phases.[12] |
| Elvin Jones | Drums | Delivered dynamic, polyrhythmic intensity, establishing his signature propulsive style in Coltrane's ensembles.[12] |
Musical Content
Original 1961 LP Track Listing
The original release of Coltrane Jazz on Atlantic Records (SD 1354) featured eight tracks recorded across multiple sessions in 1959 and 1960, with a total runtime of 38:51.[2] The tracks were divided as follows:| Side | Track | Title | Duration | Composer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | Little Old Lady | 4:25 | Hoagy Carmichael, Stanley Adams[16] |
| A | 2 | Village Blues | 5:21 | John Coltrane[17] |
| A | 3 | My Shining Hour | 4:50 | Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer[17] |
| A | 4 | Fifth House | 4:38 | John Coltrane[17] |
| B | 1 | Harmonique | 4:10 | John Coltrane[17] |
| B | 2 | Like Sonny | 5:51 | John Coltrane[17] |
| B | 3 | I'll Wait and Pray | 3:32 | George Treadwell, Jerry Valentine[18] |
| B | 4 | Some Other Blues | 5:33 | John Coltrane[17] |
2000 CD Reissue Track Listing
The 2000 Rhino/Atlantic CD reissue (R2 79891) included the original eight tracks with slight variations in listed durations and added four alternate takes as bonus tracks, extending the total runtime to 63:00.[19] The bonus tracks originated from the same recording sessions as the originals.[19]| Track | Title | Duration | Composer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Old Lady | 4:28 | Hoagy Carmichael, Stanley Adams[16] | Original take, recorded November 24, 1959 |
| 2 | Village Blues | 5:24 | John Coltrane[19] | Original take, recorded October 21, 1960 |
| 3 | My Shining Hour | 4:54 | Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer[19] | Original take, recorded December 2, 1959 |
| 4 | Fifth House | 4:44 | John Coltrane[19] | Original take, recorded December 2, 1959 |
| 5 | Harmonique | 4:14 | John Coltrane[19] | Original take, recorded December 2, 1959 |
| 6 | Like Sonny | 5:55 | John Coltrane[19] | Original take, recorded December 2, 1959 |
| 7 | I'll Wait and Pray | 3:36 | George Treadwell, Jerry Valentine[18] | Original take, recorded November 24, 1959 |
| 8 | Some Other Blues | 5:40 | John Coltrane[19] | Original take, recorded December 2, 1959 |
| 9 | Like Sonny (Alternate Version 1) | 6:08 | John Coltrane[19] | Bonus track, recorded March 26, 1959 |
| 10 | I'll Wait and Pray (Alternate Take) | 3:31 | George Treadwell, Jerry Valentine[18] | Bonus track, recorded November 24, 1959 |
| 11 | Like Sonny (Alternate Take 5) | 8:16 | John Coltrane[19] | Bonus track, recorded March 26, 1959 |
| 12 | Village Blues (Alternate Take) | 6:18 | John Coltrane[19] | Bonus track, recorded October 21, 1960 |