Coltrane: Mating Call, Traneing In, Soul Trane & My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport

Christopher Shoe

CD/DVD Reviewer since 2007

Chris Shoe is a musician and writer living in Southern CA

Recent articles (12 total)

Published: September 8, 2007


Tadd Dameron Mating Call Prestige-Concord 2007	John Coltrane Traneing In Prestige-Concord 2007	John Coltrane Soultrane Prestige-Concord 2007	John Coltrane My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport Impulse-Verve 2007

Jazz, in some respects, is an intricate recipe that requires both care and respect. It is made up of musicians, tunes and a rich history, each ingredient no less important than the next. In the recipe that is jazz, John Coltrane is one of those essential ingredients that, left out, the end product would be severely lacking. As a result, it is very exciting to have four of his legendary performances remastered and released for deeper study and appreciation (and what better time than the month of his birthday?); and in the case of My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport, a chance to hear, for the first time together, two of Coltrane's legendary appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival.

On Nov. 30th, 1956 Coltrane had the chance to record with the legendary composer Tadd Dameron on the album Mating Call. Coltrane was developing his own style at the time and it creates an interesting contrast between Dameron's piano and compositional style, such as on the title track.

Traneing In was Coltrane's second album as a leader and was recorded with the renowned Red Garland Trio, with Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Arthur Taylor (drums). This issue was also remastered by original engineer Rudy Van Gelder and it is quite the treat to hear such early recording have such crisp and resonating sound. Coltrane was beginning to develop his "sheets of sound as critic Ira Gitler labeled it and it is in full swing on the track "Bass Blues .

Soultrane was recorded in February of 1958 between Coltrane's one-year stint with Thelonious Monk and before he returned to the Miles Davis band for the last time. He is once again playing with the Red Garland Trio, blazing forward with fast and complicated lines, specifically on "You Say You Care . The listener really gets the feeling of Coltrane coming into his own sound this time around and it is expressed not only in the passionate solos, but also in the meaningfulness of his ballads such as on "I Want to Talk About You .

Near the end of his career Coltrane began to view festivals as his performing venue of choice. In the span of this era two distinctive performances were recorded that have been somewhat legendary, mostly due to the fact that they were never released in their entirety on one album. My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport finally puts these two celebrated performances on to one release - minus, unfortunately, the often rumored bass solo on "Impressions that was lost due to poor sound quality.

The listener gets, for the first time, an almost six- minute McCoy Tyner piano intro to "Impressions on the '63 take and it is simply breathtaking. "My Favorite Things is present on both performances, but it is the take on the '65 rendition that sticks out. Coltrane, on soprano, is really pushing his futuristic sound on the band, which would come into fruition over the next couple of years and it creates a sort of dichotic blend between him and his quartet (Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones).

All four of these recordings give us better insight into different times of Coltrane's career, giving listeners a chance to hear him remastered on a level not yet experienced before now.

Tracks and Personnel

Mating Call

Tracks: Mating Call; Gnid; Soultrane; On A Misty Night; Romas; Super Jet.

Personnel: Tadd Dameron: piano; John Coltrane: sax; John Simmons: bass; Philly Joe Jones: drums.

Traneing In

Tracks: Traneing In; Slow Dance; Bass Blues; You Leave Me Breathless; Soft Lights and Sweet Music.

Personnel: John Coltrane: tenor saxophone; Red Garland: piano; Paul Chambers: bass; Art Taylor: drums.

Soultrane

Tracks: Good Bait; I Want To Talk About You; You Say You Care; Theme For Ernie; Russian Lullaby

Personnel: John Coltrane: tenor saxophone; Red Garland: piano; Paul Chambers: bass; Art Taylor: drums.

My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport

Tracks: I Want To Talk About You; My Favorite Things; Impressions; Introduction By Father Norman O'Connor; One Down, One Up; My Favorite Things.

Personnel: John Coltrane: soprano and tenor saxophone; McCoy Tyner: piano; Jimmy Garrison: bass; Roy Haynes: drums (1-3); Elvin Jones: drums (5,6).

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Christopher Shoe

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