Review: The Sound Of Music had a long-lasting impact, and one of its cornerstones was 'My Favourite Things', later covered by trumpeter-visionary John Coltrane. Coltrane's version - the lead track from the album of the same name - helped cement the song's cultural standing, topping the charts in several countries. Three other tracks appear on the album in mono; Cole Porter's 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye', and two standards from the Gershwin twins on the B side. This new reissue by Rhino, however, has both stereo and mono, along with new liner notes: we're blown away by this light-hearted trumpet masterpiece.
Review: Jazz fans take note: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album more than lives up to its name. It features previously unreleased recordings by the late, great John Coltrane and his regular accompanying players (pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and Drummer Elvin Jones). The reels of tape the tracks were salvaged from were dated 1963, around the time that the quartet laid down some of its most forward-thinking work for the legendary Impulse label. Much of the material consists of original Coltrane compilations, though there are a few notable covers (including a great version of jazz standard "Nature Boy") dotted throughout. As you'd expect, Coltrane's performance is incredible from start to finish.
Review: John Coltrane's evolving artistry was one of there reasons he remains a jazz icon. His 1961 album Coltrane Jazz saw him transition into his more exploratory phase next to a stellar lineup of musicians like McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The album blends hard bop with Coltrane's emerging modal influences. Tracks like 'Little Old Lady' and 'Village Blues' highlight his lyrical saxophone playing and innovative improvisation techniques. The album balances complex compositions with soulful melodies, making it a pivotal record in Coltrane's discography that not only captures a moment of transformation for the artist but also cements his status as a jazz luminary.
Review: Lush Life is a seminal recording amongst many from the late great and legendary John Coltrane. It came at a time when his sound was transitioning between styles and after he had overcome his addiction to narcotics. He had first played with the Miles Davis Quintet in 1955 before starting his own quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones in 1960 and this one was made from three different recording sessions. Side A is by a trio setup with no piano while the flip is a quintet with Donald Byrd and Red Garland showing their skills. Devoid of the speedy, flashy solo skills he'd been known for in his early career, this is almost ambient, much more about the lush textures and meditational pace than be bop ever was.
Review: Here it is: the all-time great album that popularised jazz for the masses, and which carries the genre's torch to this day. Most works by Coltrane serve as good introductions to jazz’s endemic practice of through-composition, but A Love Supreme (1964, Impulse!) is arguably among his best works to come in four suites; to quarter a technically singular piece. Widely recognised as the moment at which John all-aboarded the Soul ‘Trane, the album marked the apogee of a wave of popular analyses of US jazz records as holding special spiritual significance. This early vaunting may have fed into its popularity into the present day; but we cannot gloss over the fact that such elevations in status do not tend to come without supreme merit, and more level-headed takes on the LP simply interpret it as one of the most impeccably performed, precisely timed jazz records of its day. Remastered for the esteemed Analogue Productions series, its everlasting flame is rekindled.
Moment's Notice (alternate take 5A (Incomplete)) (4:46)
Lazy Bird (alternate take 2) (7:12)
Review: There are few jazz albums as universally adored and significant as Blue Train. That's no exaggerated remark - it's a record imprinted on 20th Century culture, albeit just one of Coltrane's many incredible works. As part of their continued Tone Poets series, Blue Note are revisiting this landmark and giving it a grand presentation under the banner of The Complete Masters. That means, as well as the official recordings that make up Blue Train, we're also treated to a second disc of additional takes which give you a whole new perspective on these eternal treasures, from a false start of 'Blue Train' to multiple takes on 'Moment's Notice' and 'Lazy Bird'.
Review: All aboard the blue 'Trane! one of the many albums that cemented Blue Note and John Coltrane's longstanding working relationship, 'Blue Train' is the saxophonist's second studio album and the only recording with Coltrane taking the role of bandleader. This version comes with several alternate, false starts and incomplete takes, owing to the single-take tradition of jazz recording back in the late 1950s.
Review: The recordings that make up Afro Blue Impressions were acquired by jazz impresario and auteur Norman Granz, during the tours he produced for many jazz artists during the 1960s, though they weren't issued until 1973. Recorded at shows in Berlin and Stockholm, the John Coltrane Quartet - comprising pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones - is in tremendous form here, using a familiar repertoire in order to expand upon the group's own building blocks in creating the new post-harmonic system that the saxophonist was developing at the time. Reissued on vinyl by Craft Recordings, this one comes released as part of the Craft Jazz Essentials series.
Review: John Coltrane's Sun Ship, recorded in 1965 but released posthumously, captures the last moments of his legendary quartet with drummer Elvin Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner, and bassist Jimmy Garrison. The album showcases a band fully immersed in Coltrane’s move towards freer structures, exploring rhythm and melody in a way that feels both intimate and expansive. Opening with the title track, the quartet fractures rhythm and melody, creating a sense of tension and release that sets the tone for the entire recording. Garrison and Jones weave around Coltrane's saxophone, blurring the lines between time and pulse, while Tyner’s monumental solo pushes the boundaries of harmony.Tracks like ‘Ascent’ and ‘Attaining’ spotlight the rhythm section, where Garrison and Jones stretch and compress time with an improvisational looseness that retains a powerful drive. ‘Dearly Beloved’ offers a moment of reflection, with Coltrane’s lyrical playing cutting through the multi-layered, almost ritualistic rhythmic landscape, reminiscent of his earlier meditative works. The final track, ‘Amen’, hints at swing, but quickly morphs into something more abstract, blurring the lines between Coltrane’s past and future sound. Sun Ship feels like a pivotal moment in Coltrane’s journey—a summation of everything the quartet had achieved, while also signalling his impending leap into even more avant-garde territory. It is both a farewell to one of the greatest quartets in jazz and a glimpse into Coltrane's final phase of artistic transformation.
Review: Famously, John Coltrane recorded the music on Coltrane Plays The Blues during the sessions for the more celebrated and ground-breaking My Favourite Things, with his former label Atlantic - who had paid for the sessions - initially releasing the album against his wishes. In many ways it's great they did, because it remains one of jazz's truly great sets - albeit one that at the time was overshadowed by the saxophonist's other work of the 1960s. It's breezy, emotive, occasionally smoky and - as you'd expect from the title - effortlessly bluesy, with Coltrane improvising superb sax solos atop a bed of bass (played by Steve Davis), drums (Elvin Jones) and piano (McCoy Tyner). This reissue is a "hybrid CD", containing both regular and 'super audio' versions. For those with access to the latter technology, the album has never sounded better.
Review: In August 1961, John Coltrane and his legendary Quintet, joined by visionary multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, played the revered Village Gate in Greenwich Village, New York, not, at that time, as established as it would soon become. This special new double album features over an hour and a half of music that has never before been heard, including well-known Coltrane classics such as 'My Favorite Things' and 'Greensleeves' as well as the only known non-studio recording of Coltrane's 'Africa' from his Africa/Bass album. The record then marks a historic moment in Coltrane's career.
Review: In the reams of great John Coltrane recordings, this album surely stands of one of the true gems. Originally released in 1963, this collaboration with legendary baritone singer Johnny Hartman captures Coltrane at his mellow best. Alongside the headliners, the line-up on this album also features McCoy Turner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums and Jimmy Garrison on bass, and the result is an understated, sumptuous listen to lose yourself in. Sentimental and melancholic in all the best ways, this is sensitive musicianship at its finest.
Review: COMA has always operated in a world where melody is in high supply and indie and electronica have collided in fresh new ways. The artist is not one to hide away from a big hook or a pop tip line and always manages to imbue their work with tons of emotion. This new album is another step forward that investigates sonic realms ask just how broad the scope of club music can really be. That means Fuzzy Fantasy is in many ways a departure from all-out dance floor focus into something more human and nuanced.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.