Prestige Records
1957
First Trane
About This Album
A recording many consider his finest single album, and rightly so, John Coltrane displays all of the exciting elements that sparked brilliance and allowed his fully formed instrumental voice to shine through in the most illuminating manner. On tenor saxophone he's simply masterful, offering the burgeoning sheets of sound philosophy only he perfected into endless weavings of melodic and tuneful displays of inventive, thoughtful, driven phrases. Coltrane plays a bit of soprano saxophone as a primer for his more exploratory work to follow. Remember this is 1962, at a time when he was rethinking his style vis a vis the work he did influenced by Ornette Coleman, and only five years prior to his passing. Of course bassist Jimmy Garrison, drummer Elvin Jones, and especially the stellar McCoy Tyner have integrated their passionate dynamics into the inner whole of the quartet. The result is a most focused effort, a relatively popular session to both his fans or latecomers, and five selections where it is difficult to nit-pick because they are so brilliantly conceived and rendered. "Out of This World," at over 14 minutes in modal trim, is a powerful statement, stretched over Tyner's marvelous and deft chords, the churning rhythms conjured by Jones, and the vocal style Coltrane utilizes as he circles the wagons on this classic melody, including a nifty key change.
Track List

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