THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: Thrillho on 27 Oct 2009, 11:22

Title: John Coltrane
Post by: Thrillho on 27 Oct 2009, 11:22
I've had A Love Supreme for aaaaages, it being one of THE jazz albums you have to own, and even thought it took me a lot (a LOT) of listens to get into but I finally did, and it's a very beautiful, honest piece of work. Not one that I listen to much, however.

Today I bought Blue Train for £1.50 (I think that's about $3.50 these days?) from Borders, and I'm only on the first listen and already I like it more. This might be because it's a more accessible album; whatever. I just know I flat out enjoy listening to this one more. What's the next port of call? I'm guessing Giant Steps?

And what do YOU guys think of Coltrane, ehhhhh?
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: Thrillho on 27 Oct 2009, 12:32
I planned on getting Kind Of Blue eventually.
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: Joseph on 27 Oct 2009, 12:32
He also made an excellent record with Don Cherry titled The Avant Garde.  If you find you enjoy his later records, definitely check it out.  I'm a big fan of Meditations for the later stuff, but I am also just a sucker for Pharoah Sanders.
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: Johnny C on 27 Oct 2009, 16:28
Next thing you know, we'll have a thread about the Beatles.
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: Bastardous Bassist on 27 Oct 2009, 17:01
Giant Steps is great, but 'Trane was kind of a dick to Tommy Flanagan involving the title track.  It sucks because 'Trane was actually a really nice guy, apparently.  Other than that, Giant Steps pretty much has all of my favorite 'Trane tunes.

I think Contrane's avant garde work is fairly terrible.  He was great at playing so inside all the time that his work playing outside never really made much sense to me.  As far as avant garde playing, Anthony Braxton is the guy to go to for that sort of thing.  Of course, none of this stuff is really avant garde any more.
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: Inlander on 27 Oct 2009, 17:06
He played on Kind of Blue too, which is a good introduction to Miles Davis.

By the time he played on Kind of Blue he'd been with Miles Davis for several years as part of the "first quintet" (Davis, Coltrane, Red Garland on Piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and "Philly" Joe Jones on drums) which was one of the great jazz groups of all time. I'd highly recommend getting everything they recorded, although if you're only interested in Coltrane you should be aware that he was a very young when he was in this group and musically was a long way from being fully developed.
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: koalamanchester on 27 Oct 2009, 18:19
Lush Life
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: MrBlu on 27 Oct 2009, 21:35
Heavyweight Champion and Impulse! box sets. Get them..
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: doobiemonster17 on 27 Oct 2009, 23:56
All I know is that meditations makes me wet. if you want some fantastic avante garde listen to Johns widow, Alice Coltrane. She is a goddess.
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: greenMonkey on 28 Oct 2009, 20:59
He played on Kind of Blue too, which is a good introduction to Miles Davis.

By the time he played on Kind of Blue he'd been with Miles Davis for several years as part of the "first quintet" (Davis, Coltrane, Red Garland on Piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and "Philly" Joe Jones on drums) which was one of the great jazz groups of all time. I'd highly recommend getting everything they recorded, although if you're only interested in Coltrane you should be aware that he was a very young when he was in this group and musically was a long way from being fully developed.

The albums this quintet made are really terrific.  Kind of Blue is really incredible also; the band is really an all-star cast (Miles, Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Bill Evans, etc.).  I think my favorite Coltrane album is My Favorite Things, which also features some excellent musicians, including McCoy Tyner on piano.
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: Bastardous Bassist on 28 Oct 2009, 21:18
I think McCoy did better on his own, and unfortunately the first quintet kind of has a tough time standing up to the second one to me.  There's really nobody I prefer in the first vs. the second quintet.  Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.  Okay, I prefer Miles' playing with the first quintet, but there's always Freddie Hubbard to rectify that.  Not only do I prefer the musicians, I also prefer playing the compositions, though they're much more difficult (Wayne Shorter had an interesting approach to writing changes).
Title: Re: John Coltrane
Post by: carrotosaurus on 29 Oct 2009, 11:26
What you need to do is listen to Live at Birdland. The man was at the top of his game. I think it's the absolute pinnacle of Contrane, and being a sax player I've heard waaayy too much Coltrane.