Chi Coltrane Essential (2009)

The Best of Chi Coltrane draws only on material from her first two albums, and since these are vastly superior to the rest of her catalog, its title is more than justified. "Thunder and Lightning," "You Were My Friend," "Flyaway Bluebird," and "The Wheel of Life" are undoubtedly fine songs, and every track here is worth having. But anyone looking for an anthology, or career summation, will be disappointed. For an introduction to Coltrane's music, listeners would be better off tracking down her first two albums in their entirety, rather than buying this puzzling amalgamation of them.

John Coltrane - Standard Coltrane (1958) {2009 Prestige Rudy Van Gelder Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 253 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 79 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 41 Mb
© 2009 Concord / Prestige | 0888072312210 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Bop

“The title could not have been more accurate. By 1962, Coltrane’s leadership role was undeniable; he was a standard-bearer of musical commitment, and intense, bold exploration. As well, all four tunes on the album were truly ‘standards’: 32-bar tunes originally crafted for Broadway or Hollywood projects, adopted by jazz instrumentalists to interpret and explore. There’s another meaning to be gleaned from the album’s title. In 1958, when Coltrane recorded the tracks, he often favored melodies that had attained popularity during his teen years—familiar and unfamiliar alike—all in a search to find new structures and fresh inspiration. This indeed was standard Coltrane—in ’58, and well into the ’60s.”