Avant-Garde, The [Remastered] - John Coltrane & Don Cherry

Coltrane is the man.

Advantages: Some of the all time best jazz saxophone ever.
Disadvantages: Some ommissions.

become legendary. He was somewhat Avant garde, for whilst he was very clear about the melody, often starting with it and coming back to it, he strayed, often a very long way from the melody and did things that jazz had not seen before. I am not proficient or understanding enough to explain this fully, and do not want to 'copy' what someone else has written, so I will just say this. If you read what he played (in music) or heard the notes in isolation, slowly, it does not make sense, yet when he played, there is something that reaches inside of you and tells you to forget what things 'should' sound like and just enjoy it. ~~~~~So, are these his very best?~~~~~ Track 1. Giant Steps. Probably the track that 'made' Coltrane stand out, fast fingering is an understatement, it is frenetic, energetic, wonderful and very different, he ...

paulhanton 29.06.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Very Best Of John Coltrane, The - John Coltrane

John Coltrane

Advantages: One of the most talented jazz saxophonists ever!
Disadvantages: Towards the end of his life, his work got more "way out"

John Coltrane is definitely one of the greatest tenor and soprano saxophonists ever, having also written many jazz standards, such as Blue Trane and Impressions. At first, Coltrane started out as a clarinettist, and horn player, but at school he was influenced by hearing players including Lester Young and Johnny Hodges, causing him to switch to alto sax before switching to tenor sax after doing military service during world war two and playing in the U.S. Navy Band. Throughout his life, Coltrane was an alcoholic, and a heroin addict (finally dieing from liver cancer in 1967), but he managed to overcome this, and it was during overcoming his heroin addiction that he wrote perhaps his most important and prolific work - A Love Supreme - a four part work in which Coltrane tried to express his love for and worship of God, with Coltrane ...

poooookie 21.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of John Coltrane

Superlative in every sense

Advantages: A seminal work
Disadvantages: grown up jazz for grown ups

A Love Supreme is universally acknowledged as the absolute zenith of Coltrane?s career ? it bears an intensity and frankness which forty years on people still find uncomfortable and intimidating, yet somehow entrancing. I can?t confess to having been a Coltrane fan for the greater part of my life. I can?t even claim to have a deep-seated love and understanding of modern jazz as a jaunre. I bought this particular album a month or so ago for two distinct reasons; I heard a documentary on it on the radio, - my local record shop had a ?special edition? two CD copy of the album at around £30 ? not being entirely convinced I?d even like it, I opted to buy a SACD copy off the intrenet. Let?s get the CD format over and done with, if you don?t like technospeak, skip a few paragraphs! The Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard ...

dobieg 22.03.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Love Supreme, A [Remastered] - John Coltrane