It's really very simple, The Music on John Coltrane's Atlantic Records changed jazz and the way it's played forever Joel Dorn 1995.
To me, he was like an angel on earth, he struck me that deeply Elvin Jones
If you love sax as much as I do, you should love this box set of all the Atlantic Label recordings of John Coltrane. Coltrane was a master of the saxophone, and this beautiful box set contains seven full length CDs. You could listen to one each day of the week!
AS the title indicates, this Box set of Coltrane is a complete set of his recordings with Atlantic Records. Many of his more avante garde recordings, including A Love Supreme and Ascension were done later on the Impulse label.
I won't really be going into a song by song description, if you are considering buying a whole box set of Coltrane, I assume you are generally familiar with this jazz saxophone legend and his style of playing. I will tell you what wonderful stuff you will get if you do get (or borrow as I did) this wonderful box set of Coltrane.
Disc One includes Stairway to the Stars, The Late Late Blues, Bags & Trane, Three Little Words, The Night we called it a day, BeBop, Blues Legacy and Centerpiece. Coltrane plays tenor sax, Milt Jackson is on the vibes, Hank Jones plays piano, Paul Chambers is on bass, and Connie Kay is on drums. Amazingly all these songs were done in one session on January 15th, 1959 in Atlantic Studios New York City.
The remaining three songs, Giant Steps, Naimi and Like Sonny feature Cedar Walton on Piano, and Lex Humphries on drums. Paul Chambers is still on bass, and Coltrane is still on tenor sax. This trio of songs was recorded in Atlantic Studios on March 26th, 1959.
The sound here is classic jazz, standing bass delivering that dum dum dum dum while the drums keep a steady beat. The melodies and rhythms are provided on the piano and of course Coltrane's incredible saxophone. There is nothing avante garde here, the solos and the pace is all very relaxing really, and it is music I can just leave on in my home while I get all my work done, or that I can just listen to relaxing in my chair. You will also notice by the musician line up that this is pure instrumental. Every song on all seven discs is instrumental.
Disc Two Three more sessions are on this CD, the first recorded on May 4th '59. Trane is on the tenor sax and accompanied by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on the drums. They perform Spiral, Countdown, and an alternate take of Countdown.
The following day, the same musicians recorded Syeeda's Song Flute (2 takes), Mr. P.C., Giant Steps and two takes of Cousin Mary.
The third session, recorded on Nov. 24, '59 features Coltrane on tenor sax, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on Drums. They play two takes of I'll Wait and Pray and Little Old Lady.
What really amazes me is how great these sound. For recordings from 1959, the sound quality is excellent, it is very clean, and the stereo separation is very well done. I am also amazed at how these guys can just jam playing perfectly for 7 and 10 minute songs.
Disc Three features another three sessions. The first was recorded on December 2nd, 1959 with Coltrane on tenor sax, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on piano. They perform Like Sonny, Harmonique, My Shining Hour, Naima, Some other Blues, and Fifth House.
The second session is from June 28th, 1960. On one song, The Blessing, Coltrane plays soprano sax, on the other, Cherryco, he plays tenor sax. Instead of piano, we have Don Cherry on trumpet. Charlie Haden plays bass and Ed Blackwell is on drums.
The third session is the same line up as the second. Coltrane plays tenor sax on Focus on Sanity and Bemsha Swing and soprano sax on The Invisible.
The 2 sessions with Don Cherry on trumpet have a different sound obviously. It reminded me of the many performances that Coltrane did with legendary trumpet player Miles Davis.
Disc Four has a very familiar lineup. Joining Coltrane on tenor or soprano sax are McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on Bass and Elvin Jones on drums. This is the quartet that Colrane has done many songs and albums. On Oct 21st, 1960 the quartet did two takes of Village Blues and their unique take on Rogers and Hammersteins My Favorite Things.
The second session is the same famous quartet recorded on Oct. 24th, 1960. Central Park West, Mr Syms, Exotica, Summertime, two takes of Body and Soul and Mr. Knight round out the first half of this session and Disc Four.
Disc Five features the rest of the session with the legendary quartet, recorded on Oct 24th, 1960. two takes of Blues to Elvin, Mr. Day, two takes of Blues to You, Blues to Bechet, and Satellite. I was pretty familiar with this set since I have a recording of Coltrane Plays the Blues. These songs definitely have a bluesy feel, with the sax drawn out in that langorous blues style.
A second session from Oct 26th, 1960 features three more songs, Everytime we say Goodbye, 26-2 and But Not for Me.
Disc Six The songs from the rest of the Oct 26th session are here, Liberia, The Night has a Thousand Eyes and Equinox.
One more set from May 25th, 1961 has the legendary quartet playing Ole, Dahomey Dance, Aisha, and an Original Untitled Ballad.
These last two sessions from disc 5 and 6 are a taste of the jazz to come as Coltrane went with this quartet to Impulse. The sounds aren't as standard as the earlier sessions, and there is more than a little taste of the avante garde direction that Coltrane was headed in.
Disc Seven is actually a disc of outtakes that give you a feel of how these sessions come about. They are the false starts and the incomplete recordings that give us a glimpse into the recording process. Several unused takes of Giant Steps, Naima, and Like Sonny are included as well as a couple alternate takes of Blues to Elvin and Blues to You. Although it may not be ideal for relaxed listening, it was interesting.
Sound Quality The sound quality throughout all seven discs was really extraordinary! I played this on all my systems, and didn't hear obnoxious hiss or poor recording on any songs. I listened to it on my surround system , a Yamaha RX V659 surround sound receiver, Pioneer Elite DV45 A DVD player, Cambridge Soundworks speakers and a Velodyne subwoofer. I also listened on a dedicated 2 channel system, a high end Meridian 506 CD player, a Yamaha HR 5280 with a Rotel RB 991 amplifier and Polk Audio Monitor 70 towers. Finally I listened to many of the discs in the stock system of my car. On all my systems, I just found myself getting lost in the incomparable music of Coltrane, this set of CDs was recorded impeccably, and I found myself fully able to enjoy the music rather than focusing on sonic imperfections of faulty recordings. I could hear subtle details like the breathing before blowing into the sax.
The Booklet This 7 CD set also includes a very nice booklet which includes notes from his band mates and other famous saxophone players, Coltranes history with Atlantic and complete details on the songs from the date of the recordings to the personnel on each song.
Value This box set retails for 80 dollars. I think it is a great value for fans of Coltrane. I must confess that I got a far greater deal on this set though. Thank's to one of the public libraries, I was able to take this set home and enjoy it for free!
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