John Coltrane Soprano and Tenor Sax
McCoy Taylor Piano
Steve Davis Bass
Elvin Jones Drums
John plays Soprano on the first two tracks of this CD and tenor on the other two.
This CD was present I bought my jazz loving mother for Christmas, as you can see from my profile timeline, jazz is the music I have liked for the longest and as such I was quite excited to post my first Jazz review.
1. My Favorite Things
As you may probably be able to guess this track is the same in tune the famous song of the same name. Opening with echoing piano that builds up an epic feeling, it then leads into the chilled fee of the song. Then the sax comes in, playing the well known tune of this song but then it leads into its own musical experimentations. Roughly 3 minutes into his 13 minute rendition the sax and piano pick up the speed to increase the genera tempo feeling of this track. The Piano is hen allowed the limelight as it plays a section which changes in key tempo repeatedly, making this rather chilled piece seem reasonably exciting. The piano then moves out into an almost thoughtful piece of its own and moves away from the original rhythm and tune. This at first makes you want to sit back and enjoy but then makes you feel mildly crazy as it moves into. The piano is allowed to continue to take centre stage as it finally comes back to the original tune of the song. After the majestic piano comes and goes, the sax brings itself into hearing. John is clearly anxious not to be overshadowed as he brings in some amazing saxophone work, despite the slow beat of this piece the sax hear is upbeat and danceable. Perhaps this is due to the mildly polyrhythmic feel of this section of the piece. After the majestic feel of the sax it follows the same pattern as the piano of returning to the original tune. Then the sax an piano move to an urgent feel with the sax still taking centre stage. The beat is kept by the drums as the relaxed, chilled beat, but the piece is neither relaxed nor is it chilled. The multi-key feel of the piano mixed with the saxophone virtuosity make this track truly memorable. One last time it returns to the original tune and then it ends.
2. Every Time We Say Goodbye
Distinctly slower in it beat compared to the previous track. It has a much more melancholy tone. The Saxophone plays a sorrowful piece as it cuts into you soul. This piece reminds you that being miserable isn"t for emos, and that it was truly perfected by jazz legends or blues singers. The pianos time to shine once again appear in this song. As the bass and drums play the low beat the piano messes with our head by being erratic and clever. It May be played quickly and cleverly but the mood of the song is still set in stone. The piano occasionally returns to the original beat, only to veer off in many amazing directions. When the sax returns, the piano creates layers under it so it can back up the feel of the saxophone. They work together to make an incredibly sorrowful piece. However, the last word is left to the piano as it slowly and sorrowfully plays the piece away.
3. Summertime
Starting on an exciting note perhaps to reflect upon it namesake, this piece is one where all instrument work together. The piano and saxophone move away from one another but both reflect the jumpy mood of this song. The bass and drums are also used to excite the listener. The saxophone essentially solos away, portraying the truly amazing musicianship of John Coltrane. The urgency of the Saxophone make this track my favourite one of the CD. The drums indulge in some drum rolls to reflect the multiple moods of the piece. There are many moods, they are all happy. The piano again has itself a portion f the song where it is allowed to live up to the saxophone. Switching between the noodling very quickly and playing hard and confident rhythmical sections h piano truly shines. Double Bassist Steve Dais has his turn to become the star of the show later o in this song. With a very nice quiet and thoughtful solo, you slowly realise that Jon Coltrane knows who he wants in his band. Towards the end of the Bass solo comes a drum roll which is also backed up by piano, as the bass continues in its clever solo. Drums are also allowed to impressed in this piece as they take an exciting twist with multiple speeds. Then"Sax returns, and continues o impress with the shear speed and zeal that comes with it. John Coltrane has been called self-indulgent, all I can say is if he is I"m glad.
4. But Not For Me
Saxophone opens this piece very neatly. The tune of this piece creates a wonderful feeling as both bass and sax take you both up and down. The piano stays on the mainly upbeat track. The sax keeps making miracles for the ears as it goes on. The piano and sax both have a feeling of a build up to something new and incredible as they go through. It gives you the impression of more to come, which is great considering how impressive this already is. The sax pulls off one more trick before letting the piano take centre stage, the piano is cleverly left to go crazy over a particularly amazing bassline. The piano is best described as multi-tonal, as t moves through the very excitable things it plays. This track then lets a new kind of saxophone playing appear even more fantastic than usual. The bassline becomes more apparent still in this section and appears more quirky than ever. The sax leads you into some very crazed directions towards the end of this piece. The Sax leads the rest of the band to the closing section and ands this CD.
Overall
This is a truly great CD and marks John Coltrane as on of THE jazz musicians to love. There are only two real problems; the improvisational nature of this piece and the sound. The first means that there are a few major down points to each song, the latter is due to the fact that it is a re-release of an old LP, as you probably guessed. Otherwise it is great.
