Trane's Blues [Blue Note]

Read About This Recording

John Coltrane's career evolved through several very influential periods ranging from bebop and hard bop to modal music, two-chord vamps and finally very passionate sound explorations. It could be said that he gradually brought bop-based music to its logical extreme as free jazz.

The music on Trane's Blues dates from 1956-60 (mostly 1956-57), a period when Coltrane's sheets of sound solos found him creating all kinds of very original phrases over conventional chord changes. The emphasis throughout this sampler disc is on Coltrane playing blues at a variety of tempos. Among the all-stars who are also featured are trumpeters Lee Morgan and Donald Byrd, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianists Sonny Clark, Horace Silver, Kenny Drew, Wynton Kelly and McCoy Tyner, bassists Paul Chambers and Steve Davis, and drummers Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor, Billy Higgins and Art Blakey. Smokestack is one of the highlights for it matches Trane with fellow tenors Johnny Griffin and Hank Mobley.

Trane's Blues is an excellent introduction to the brilliant music of John Coltrane.

-Scott Yanow

Contents

Trane's Blues; Locomotion; Sonny's Crib; Just For The Love; Blue Train; One And Four (aka Mr. Day); Smoke Stack; Shifting Down.

John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Tenor Saxes; Kenny Drew, Sonny Clark, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Wynton Kelly, Cecil Taylor, Pianos; Paul Chambers, Steve Davis, Chuck Israels, Basses; Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Louis Hayes, Drums; Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham, Trumpets; Curtis Fuller, Trombone; Kenny Burrell, Guitar.