Very Best Of John Coltrane, The - John Coltrane > Reviews > Coltrane is the man.

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Excellent

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

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Very Best of John Coltrane

Some folks in commenting on a previous review wanted me to review some 'hard jazz'; well here goes.

This was just one of the 'best of' or 'greatest hits' type albums, of several that have been issues since the great mans death at the tender age of 41. It seems that the saxophone 'greats' die young and tragically; Charlie Parker, Albert Ayler.

Although primarily a tenor player, he also played an awful lot of soprano (as on much of this album) and occasionally alto and clarinet, though I've not heard much of this.

He was an absolute giant amongst jazz saxophonists, and along with Parker, probably (though in different ways) the most influential saxophonist ever. He played with many of the greats too, in fact some of his collaborations with Miles Davies (trumpet) such as Bye Bye Blackbird, have 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 tore up the rule book with this. 9/10.

Track 2. Cousin Mary.
A ballad of sorts, only faster and he cannot just let lie, he takes a simple upward set of notes on a scale and plays with them, throwing in a note that has gone back down before the scale resumes, brilliant. 9/10.

Track 3. Naima.
Much slower, almost painfully slow. It is like he pays each note as if it is the only note he is going to play, and then he twists them and plays flats where they just should not fit, and sharps that make you cringe, but with joy. 9/10.

Track 4. Like Sonny.
Clearly a tribute to Sonny Rollins. I like the way he plays in a lower register here, but for me it is not a 'very best', it would be for 90% of saxophonists, but compared to what else is on this album, this isn't. 7/10.

Track 5. My Shining Hour.
Very smooth for Coltrane, lots more piano backing, I have to confess to not having heard this before downloading this album. I do like it, but, and there is a but, it is again, not the 'very best' 7/10.

Track 6. My Favourite Things.
Nearly 14 minutes of it. To me the ultimate Coltrane track, forget the sound of music, because this bears almost no resemblance to that. Edgy, scary, brilliant, unbelievably complex there are very few saxophone pieces that, in my mind have ever come close to this. The piano intro sound like a thriller film soundtrack, then in comes 'trane, all mixed up notes and key changes, he repeats notes over and over, then just seems to change on a whim, when history tells us he knew exactly what he was doing. There are sections where he plays a sequence or phrase that has such deft finger work that I cannot see how he could be that fast. Perfection. 10/10, if I could score it higher I would.

Track 7. Central Park West.
More of a melodic feel, more of a traditional jazz vibe, just because he could. 8/10.

Track 8. Summertime.
11 and a half minutes of his own take on this standard, brilliantly complex yet still clearly the tune we know.....brilliant, but in my mind, Charlie Parker has Coltrane beaten on this, just, not least because I like the sound of an alto slightly more. 9/10.

Track 9. Mr Syms.
Another that I was unfamiliar with before this album. Slinky, ultra cool and sounds like it should be played in a Tarantino film, nice. 8/10.

Track 10. Equinox.
Strange track, seems a bit 'tame' in parts for Coltrane, yet he manages to 'quirk' it up in places. Weakest track on the album at 6/10.

Track 11. Body and Soul.
Very bebop in feel and could easily be influenced by his playing days alongside such players, I quite like this, but it is not a 'hairs on end' piece like some of his other stuff. 7/10.

~~~~~Very Best of?~~~~~
Yes and no. Favourite things, Giant Steps, definitely, but there are some glaring omissions for me:

In a Sentimental Mood played by Coltrane is epic, and Impressions is probably my 2nd favourite track of his behind Favourite Things. To not include at least one version of his supreme tenor playing on A love Supreme is just not acceptable (there were at least 20 versions), I probably would have also included 'Round Midnight.

All that being said, for £4.99 (iTunes) this album represents fantastic value, and is a brilliant introduction to John Coltrane.

Clearly as I downloaded this album I cannot comment on the cover, inlay etc. Apart from what I see here and on iTunes.

Also posted on Dooyoo, same member name.