Jazz

Disclaimer: I own a lot of Coltrane and most of it is in heavy rotation -- but.. Giant Steps has also never been a favorite album for me, but here's a possible path:

My Favorite Things: the Rhino copy I think is still affordable, BG master IIRC. If you can, steam the original Julie Andrews signing My Favorite Things from the sound of music prior to listening. Marvel at how awesome and pure her voice is -- buy that record... wait, this is about JC, right? Once your humming, "girls in white dresses, with blue..." -- the drop on the record (or try a stream of good quality) and here how Coltrane reconstructs the song. You'll also here how Coltrane is using some of the inter-chordal/sheets of sounds playing -- similar to what you here Pharoah Sanders doing oh so gently on the Floating Points record.

As others have mentioned: Blue Train is a monster record as are his records with Duke Ellington and Johnny Hartman (a personal favorite from that period)

But he did great straight ahead work for Prestige. Cut a terrific album with Kenny Burrell.

Before the hard avant garde, there is a ton of very accessible exploratory to spiritual -- in addition to A Love Supreme -- I'd add titles like Ole, Crescent (Black Pearl!)

It's a bit if a deep ender vs a starting point -- and this isn't a record I can recommend to everyone -- but if you want to here Coltrane playing hard, but not free, it is worth tucking into One Up, One Down, Live at the Half Note. It's one of my favorites and is just an unbelievable set. You'll hear what the band does with Favorite Things in a live format at a small club. They did not mess around and are there to take the walls of the joint. It isn't a starting point, but if you like the first My Favorite Things and want to get a snapshot of how Coltrane at that point was hearing it, for me this is it.

I'm the end though -- and I'll draw an analogy that might get me in trouble -- part of what made Coltrane so remarkable was the conscious process of exploration, challenging of form, reconstruction that he (and the band, let's not forget that...) Drove over the course of his career. Not unlike Picasso, he was was an incredibly skilled traditional artist -- straight player -- but he also was amongst the pre-eminent explorers of what territory could jazz own. So you have early cubist, blue period, etc his own expressions of form. The records are a series of chapters in a novel of an artist trying to find the next answer....so there is a bit of that "ear" inherent in the listening for me.

and it's okay to not like him too. Heck, a lot of Picasso's late period is a big "meh" for me -- mostly because he stopped that journey -- and there are a few of Coltrane's that I don't spin as much that are classics (Giant Steps) ... I'm good with it.
Very well said, this is a fantastic breakdown!

A couple of years ago I set out to listen to every Coltrane track that was on Spotify in chronological order. It was 82 albums, 32 compilations and god only knows how many singles. While there were obviously multiple duplicates in there what really stood out to me was how did not feel myself getting bored once and I attribute that to his musical progression throughout the years. While he clearly honed his style of playing, he never ceased to explore new areas and this ensured that each album of his, regardless of how it was received, was fresh.
 
Why doesn’t my brain get John Coltrane 😭. I try and try and my brain can’t seem to process what makes his music so revered outside of the boundary breaking stuff like A Love Supreme. Just got Giant Steps and didn’t find it be very enjoyable. Was there an album that made Trane click in particular for everyone?

I seem to really enjoy his more down tempo stuff as well as My Favorite Things and Ole

I’m not a Coltrane aficionado, but when I’m in the mood for his music I usually go for Live at the Vanguard or (now that I have it) Live at Birdland. For some reason those two releases hit me harder than the studio recordings (Birdland actually has some studio tracks, and they’re marvelous), including A Love Supreme. I do love My Favorite Things, though.

As for early Trane, I also really enjoy The Cats (though that’s not exactly a Coltrane-led session). My copies of Blue Train, Giant Steps, and A Love Supreme are not the great pressings, which may be why I prefer the live albums (both of mine are 1960s pressings).
 
I'm with ya on this one. I love how meditative it is. And I can see how some people may find it boring or "samey" but it's a nice reprieve for me to throw it on and just relax after a stressful day.

I wasnt too excited for this album. Electronic/jazz combinations can be lacking sometimes. There is a lack of spontaneity that makes for a good collaboration. The Steve Reid/Kerian stuff is good. I did not expected this album to be as good. However s a good listen. I was pleasantly surprised that there are no percussive elements. The string Arrangements use some different ideas. The electronic elements are minimal and do add something. I wonder how much FP decided to sit back and let the orchestra and Sanders e the focal point. I listen to the repeals to get the day started. Just enough peaceful energy.
 
My Coltrane recommendations:

Early. I'm not the biggest hard bop fan but Coltrane elevates these bluesy numbers head and shoulders above the competition.


Mid. Mystical, hypnotic Coltrane at his best for me. Even if you don't dig on Coltrane then Dolphy, Hubbard and Tyner play the shit out of this one. I could listen to the title track on loop and seldom need a break.


Late. A posthumous release, recorded (I think) shortly after A Love Supreme and it was the first Coltrane album I heard that made me fall in love with his later period and modal/free jazz as a whole.
 
My Coltrane recommendations:

Early. I'm not the biggest hard bop fan but Coltrane elevates these bluesy numbers head and shoulders above the competition.


Mid. Mystical, hypnotic Coltrane at his best for me. Even if you don't dig on Coltrane then Dolphy, Hubbard and Tyner play the shit out of this one. I could listen to the title track on loop and seldom need a break.


Late. A posthumous release, recorded (I think) shortly after A Love Supreme and it was the first Coltrane album I heard that made me fall in love with his later period and modal/free jazz as a whole.

I TOTALLY agree with you on Ole. It is hypnotic. So good!
 
Why doesn’t my brain get John Coltrane 😭. I try and try and my brain can’t seem to process what makes his music so revered outside of the boundary breaking stuff like A Love Supreme. Just got Giant Steps and didn’t find it be very enjoyable. Was there an album that made Trane click in particular for everyone?

I seem to really enjoy his more down tempo stuff as well as My Favorite Things and Ole
Back in the day, Giant Steps was the monster record for Coltrane. To this day, every tenor in the world listens and studies that solo, and it is virtually a capstone accomplishment to run through the changes. The Prestige stuff before was varied in quality, most really pick- up dates. Everything changed with Giant Steps. Virtually every track on it has become a standard. For musicians, particularly tenor players, Giant Steps is probably the most influential Coltrane record, far more than ALS.

But, it may not be accessible for everyone. It is very ' technical' in structure. Its not for sipping wine and relaxing on the velvet sofa. Very much a musicians record.

Try it with headphones, in stereo. Let it float across your brain. It is an amazing record.
 
Back in the day, Giant Steps was the monster record for Coltrane. To this day, every tenor in the world listens and studies that solo, and it is virtually a capstone accomplishment to run through the changes. The Prestige stuff before was varied in quality, most really pick- up dates. Everything changed with Giant Steps. Virtually every track on it has become a standard. For musicians, particularly tenor players, Giant Steps is probably the most influential Coltrane record, far more than ALS.

But, it may not be accessible for everyone. It is very ' technical' in structure. Its not for sipping wine and relaxing on the velvet sofa. Very much a musicians record.

Try it with headphones, in stereo. Let it float across your brain. It is an amazing record.
I appreciate everyone’s comments, love that you all took the time to explain why Coltrane is so special to you all. Definitely encourages further delving. Don’t get me wrong, when he gets a track right for me they become some of my favorites across jazz. My Favorite Things (although I really think McCoy steals the show here) and Ole specifically rank up there as some of the most epic pieces of music I think I will ever encounter. There are countless Coltrane tracks that have made an impression but for some reason he still feels so hit or miss to me in terms of full length projects. I’ll typically reach for Sonny Rollins or Wayne Shorter before Trane if I’m in the mood for some sax, I imagine that to be because they are far more, let’s call it, “conversational”.

Anyways, this video is why I wanted to own Giant Steps, check it out if you haven’t yet
 
I appreciate everyone’s comments, love that you all took the time to explain why Coltrane is so special to you all. Definitely encourages further delving. Don’t get me wrong, when he gets a track right for me they become some of my favorites across jazz. My Favorite Things (although I really think McCoy steals the show here) and Ole specifically rank up there as some of the most epic pieces of music I think I will ever encounter. There are countless Coltrane tracks that have made an impression but for some reason he still feels so hit or miss to me in terms of full length projects. I’ll typically reach for Sonny Rollins or Wayne Shorter before Trane if I’m in the mood for some sax, I imagine that to be because they are far more, let’s call it, “conversational”.

Anyways, this video is why I wanted to own Giant Steps, check it out if you haven’t yet

Those Vox x Earworm videos are so rad. In addition to loving music, I'm an animator and the animation and design is so great. Love watching all of them.
 
My Craft One-Step Lateef Eastern Sounds has shipped. I'm looking forward to hearing if it lives up to the hype. Have an OJC copy so will do some comparing to determine what's distinctive. Will be interested in others' initial reviews on this thread too.
I shared this on another thread but think it is funny enough to share here. I had shipping for the Lateef one step (from the US to the UK) and the tracking shows that it was in the US, then Germany, then back to the US in the space of a few hours. Not sure what happened there :ROFLMAO:

Screenshot 2021-04-17 at 23.53.04.png
 
I shared this on another thread but think it is funny enough to share here. I had shipping for the Lateef one step (from the US to the UK) and the tracking shows that it was in the US, then Germany, then back to the US in the space of a few hours. Not sure what happened there :ROFLMAO:

View attachment 96051
That is your privatized Royal Mail at work! It has not left the US yet. Track on DHL. It probably goes to Germany first, then UK. Likely Royal Mail systems haven't figured out Brexit yet!
 
That is your privatized Royal Mail at work! It has not left the US yet. Track on DHL. It probably goes to Germany first, then UK. Likely Royal Mail systems haven't figured out Brexit yet!
Yeah the actual tracking just shows as being in the US. The ParcelApp tends to show extra steps involved and sometimes messes up like this, I just thought it was quite funny the way they slotted Germany into the mix :ROFLMAO:
 
Anyone get VMP's Motor City Scene pressing in? How does it sound?
I got it along with the Booker Ervin.

Personally, I think it's a decent pressing. Not an audiophile, shockingly good pressing. But not a bad one.

With that being said, someone messaged me on Instagram that has an original copy. They picked up the VMP for comparison and said it really lacks the punch of the OG. This is usually the case anyway but he seemed to think it was noticeably poorer.

But like I said, I think its decent and glad I got it.
 
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Pretty sure these never sold out so that FOMO "restock" thing feels a little disingenuous?

I wish they weren't insanely overpriced still. I'd buy them all at $35.
 
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