John Coltrane Cattin

This mid-'90s DCC Jazz edition of the John Coltrane (tenor sax)/Paul Quinichette (tenor sax) title Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette (1959) contains the same excellent remastering and bonus tracks as its standard silver pressing - without the superfluous expense of a 24-karat gold disc. Audiophile pressing or naught, what remains as the centerpiece are the selections that the co-leads cut during a mid-May 1957 session with Mal Waldron (piano), plus a rhythm section consisting of Julian Euell (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums). Waldron - who penned all the album's originals - proves why he is one of the best composer/arrangers for Coltrane…

John Coltrane frequently appeared on live radio broadcasts of concerts while touring with his bands, with many of them appearing and reappearing on various European labels. This 1963 Copenhagen concert, recorded at Tivoli Konertasal, features his classic quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. Previously issued by TDJ and MagLuxe, this two-CD set contains the complete concert, except for "Impressions," which was evidently incomplete on the original source tape. As typical with live recordings made from broadcasts with no remixing, the sound is not to the standard of a professional recording, with somewhat distant bass and muddy audio in spots. But the music is very listenable and finds the quartet at a peak, particularly in Coltrane's features on soprano sax, which include "The Promise," "Afro-Blue," and an explosive "My Favorite Things"…

Charly's live John Coltrane recordings from '61, '63, and '65 reveal just how much the tenor and soprano saxophonist's playing changed in the first half of the decade: a sonic shift from aggressive tonality to unfettered exploration. While the 1965 disc, Live In Paris, does find Coltrane covering familiar song territory with "Naima," "Impressions," and "Afro Blue," it also shows him dismissing solo structure in favor of volcanic flights. The record features the saxophonist's classic quartet of pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison recorded at the Antibes festival and the Selel Pleyel in Paris; these concerts were not only part of Coltrane's last European tour, but would also mark the beginning of the end for the group (Tyner and Jones, traditionalists at heart, would soon depart in the face of their boss' increasing need for freedom, being replaced by Alice Coltrane and Rahsied Ali respectively)…

These two sessions were produced by Lee Kraft in 1957 featuring the inimitable tenor saxophonist John Coltrane in two different formats; a quintet with Donald Byrd, Walter Bishop, Jr., Wendell Marshall and Art Blakey, and a 15-piece big band organized by Blakey. Coltrane was featured prominently in both settings and played exceptionally throughout. While the other soloists were all top-notch musicians, Coltranes compositions and performance clearly stole the show. His solos were powerful and confident, ripping out sequences of 16th note lines that soared over the full range of the horn with complete command.

John Coltrane's quintet with Eric Dolphy was recorded extensively during their European tour in 1961, with many of the concerts evidently being broadcast and taped by private collectors. The music heard on this two-CD set was previously available from the now-defunct Mag(Luxe) label, containing both shows from Paris in 1961. The sound quality is better than average, though Elvin Jones' drums are the most prominent instrument, but the rest of the band can be heard. Coltrane tends to solo long, not always giving Dolphy and Tyner the room they deserve, though they are effective when featured…

Vibraphonist Milt Jackson and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane make for a surprisingly complementary team on this 1959 studio session, their only joint recording. With fine backup by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Connie Kay, Bags and Trane stretch out on two of Jackson's originals (including "The Late Late Blues") and three standards: a romping "Three Little Words," "The Night We Called It a Day," and the rapid "Be-Bop."

Vibraphonist Milt Jackson and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane make for a surprisingly complementary team on this 1959 studio session, their only joint recording. With fine backup by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Connie Kay, Bags and Trane stretch out on two of Jackson's originals (including "The Late Late Blues") and three standards: a romping "Three Little Words," "The Night We Called It a Day," and the rapid "Be-Bop."

John Coltrane - Interplay (2007) {5CD Box Set Prestige PRCD5-30204 rec 1956-58}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.76 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 735 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 2.91 Gb | 5% repair rar
© 1956-58, 2007 Prestige / Concord | PRCD5-30204 | 24bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Interplay, Prestige Records' new 5-CD set, containing early collaborative recordings of the peerless tenor saxophonist and visionary John Coltrane, serves two distinct purposes. The first is to offer an extraordinary collection of music that provides an excellent overview of the modern jazz scene during the fertile 1956-1958 period. The other - and arguably more important purpose to the legions of Coltrane faithful - is its rich delineation of the evolutionary process behind one of the most profoundly important and emotionally compelling artists this planet has ever seen.