JOHN COLTRANE: WITH RED GARLAND TRIO (SERIE PRESTIGE) (MONO)

Performer: John Coltrane, tenor saxophone; Red Garland, piano; Paul Chambers, double bass; Art Taylor, drums
Composer: John Coltrane
Number of discs: 1
Barcode: 0753088712333
Label: Analogue Productions
Format: LP
Genre: Jazz
Year: 2015

For his second LP, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane enlisted the collaboration of great pianist Red Garland, who at the time was also under contract with Prestige, and formed a quartet completed by an outstanding rhythm section featuring bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor. The clear absence of non-essential instruments placed even greater focus on Coltrane himself, who delivers an exceptional blend of technical assurance and expressive freedom. Coltrane’s original composition “Traneing In” is a highly engaging blues that highlights the musical affinities between Coltrane and Garland. Although Garland’s piano is immediately prominent from the opening bars, the arrangement allows Coltrane to perform his solo in an apparently independent manner, gradually increasing in intensity while always maintaining the underlying swing and bop feel of the piece. Chambers, for his part, stands out with an energetic contribution that enriches the well-known Christmas standard “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” The intense “Slow Dance” is a dark ballad built on a simple yet refined melody, fully enhanced by Coltrane before passing to Chambers and then Garland, and finally concluding with a masterful final statement by Coltrane. The second Coltrane original, “Bass Blues,” showcases the remarkable ability of Chambers to handle even the most complex and seemingly spontaneous lines from Coltrane. “You Leave Me Breathless” contains everything a love song should have, as evidenced by the languid and extended melodic lines of Coltrane, Garland, and what can only be described as a truly extraordinary performance by Paul Chambers. The program closes with a bebop-flavoured love dream, a fast and exhilarating interpretation of Irving Berlin’s classic “Soft Lights and Sweet Music.” It should be noted that after the first edition, the title and cover of this album were changed to “Traneing In,” featuring a monochrome portrait of John Coltrane.

Recorded in 1958.

John Coltrane, tenor saxophone
Red Garland, piano
Paul Chambers, double bass
Art Taylor, drums

Tracklist

Traneing In
Slow Dance
Bass Blues
You Leave Me Breathless
Soft Lights and Sweet Music