In a forest of giants, John Coltrane was the tallest tree. In 1945, at the age of nineteen he heard Charlie Parker for the very first time; this would have lasting consequences in the movement and development of jazz. Ten years later he would join up with Miles Davis, adding the final piece to the first great Miles Davis Quintet. This would be the first time the world would hear the unforgettable voice carried on the larger-than-life sound of jazz’s undeniable heavyweight champion of the tenor saxophone. Coltrane brought a bold new sound to hard-bop while keeping within already drawn lines.
1957 saw the turning point; Coltrane joined Thelonious Monk, whose revolutionary take on music made an indelible impression on the jazz world. From this point on Coltrane would develop his surgical method of deconstructing chords and rebuilding them with whirlwind arpeggios. This was the year he cut his one and only session as a leader for Blue Note, “Blue Train.”
The following year he would cut a few sessions for Prestige, where he began to stretch modal boundaries. In 1959 he would re-join Miles for jazz’s timeless classic “Kind Of Blue.” Later in the year he would sign with Atlantic, recording his first session comprised exclusively of originals, “Giant Steps,” to be released in 1960. As spectcular and beloved as “Blue Train” is, “Giant Steps” is the record that aimed Coltrane, and by extension jazz, in the furiously chromatic, modal direction it would take in the 60’s. He would go on to record several more sessions for Atlantic over the next year; this would be the place and time where he would find Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner, making up three-fourths of the quartet that would change the world. On the famous “My Favorite Things” album Coltrane would re-introduce the soprano saxophone (with Sydney Bechet in mind); his unforgettable solo on “My Favorite Things” heralded a new voice in jazz.
Saint Coltrane
In 1961 the quartet would inaugurate Creed Taylor’s Impulse label, creating a legacy that would put Impulse firmly in the center of the jazz map. The records the group made from ’61 – ’64 would sustain a pitch of intensity never to be matched. His fascination with Indian modes was explored on the Impulse sessions; a surprisingly fitting influence on the new sound. Generally considered to be the quartet’s masterpiece, 1964’s “A Love Supreme” shattered the mold. Broken into a four part suite, the record is a testament to Coltrane’s spiritual awakening, and even though the music would change dramatically at this point (the quartet would disband the following year) it was this awakening that would inform the remainder of his output. In 1982 the African Orthodox Church would canonize Coltrane. The Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church in San Francisco incorporates his music into its liturgy, codifying the jazz prayer.
When He Was Bad
Going back to 1957, John Coltrane was still very much a part of the secular world, taking his inspiration where he found it. Before becoming deacon of the spirit encompassing hard-bop, post-bop and anything left in the “free” category, he was merely the most skilled, powerful tenor player on the planet, “Blue Train” providing exhibit-A.
The title track is announced with a regal introduction; Coltrane and trumpeter Lee Morgan state the theme together before the train leaves the station. Joined by Paul Chambers (bass) and “Philly”Joe Jones (drums), both lately of the first Miles Davis Quintet, along with Kenny Drew (piano) and Curtis Fuller (trombone), the ingredients are set for the ultimate hard-bop cooker. Taking the first break, Coltrane explodes, bursting open a new vein for future soloists of all instruments to plunder. The grievously underrated Kenny Drew enters next with a startlingly bright solo that maintains the momentum; Drew’s supremely gifted piano gets its best airing on the “Blue Train” session.
“Moment’s Notice” leaves the next station with an increased sense of urgency; Curtis Fuller takes a double-time trombone solo with the greatest of ease before handing off to Lee Morgan who, at nineteen years old, delivers a career defining performance on this and every other break he plays on the record. Playing the session on a bent trumpet that was a gift from Dizzy Gillespie, Morgan delivers a heart-stopping line with every breath.
Philly Lick
With the world-wide phenomenon of the first great Miles Davis Quintet, Philly Joe Jones became one of, if not the most sought after drummer in jazz. A light precise touch and rocket speed, matched with an unerring gift of timing still doesn’t describe the magic of Philly Joe. The sense of motion he brings to the music makes a qualitative difference; his drum work is so slick and clean it’s almost funny – perhaps humor is the undefinable ingredient here. Miles puzzled over it for years; there was a thing Philly Joe did that just made everything else click. He brings in “Locomotion” with an unheard of dynamism, and the band takes off on one of the more exciting chases in jazz or all of music; the soloists following one another at an increasingly breathless pace. Lee Morgan’s solo here has to be heard to be believed, one of the most thrilling on record.
Mercer and Kern’s “I’m Old Fashioned” is the only tune on the record not written by Coltrane. The message is in the title; Coltrane and Morgan go back to the old school on this ballad, wringing new beauty out of an old tune. The record closes with “Lazy Bird,” a happy-go-lucky tribute to Charlie Parker. The sextet falls into what became known in the Miles Davis Quintet as “relax mode,” an easy bop groove played at lightning speed, giving the music an irresistible motion, while at the same time creating a long enough view that we can sit back and enjoy. Everyone jumps in for a solo here, making their instruments sound their most ebullient and joyful.
Any Old Stop Will Do
There’s a map-full of places to visit in the amazing career of John Coltrane. Every year from 1955 until his death in 1967 is packed with milestones; 1961 by itself is a world of new music. A great place to begin however, is “Blue Train,” where sheer motion carries the best chops jazz had to offer, in a blissfully blue setting.
Scott Cramer - Scott lives in Chicago and is an insufferable know-it-all on certain topics. He writes fiction (primarily short stories) much of which ...
