Coltrane Jazz


Coltrane Jazz is the sixth studio album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released in early 1961 on Atlantic Records, catalogue SD 1354. The song "Village Blues" is noted as a landmark recording, as it marks the first session date of the early John Coltrane Quartet on record. Featured alongside Coltrane are pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Steve Davis

Background

In 1959, Miles Davis' business manager Harold Lovett negotiated a contract for Coltrane with Atlantic, the terms including a $7000 annual guarantee. After having recorded most of Giant Steps, Coltrane started having bridge problems, and did not return to a recording studio for six months. In the late fall, he employed the rhythm section from the Miles Davis Quintet for two Atlantic sessions, which yielded the bulk of this album and the track "Naima" for Giant Steps. "Like Sonny" is a tribute to colleague Sonny Rollins, whose playing Coltrane greatly admired.
Having left the Davis band for good in the spring of 1960, Coltrane formed his first touring quartet for a residency at the Jazz Gallery club in Manhattan, eventually settling on the line-up of Tyner, Jones, and bassist Steve Davis in September. This group entered the studio on October 21, recording "Village Blues" at the beginning of the week of sessions that produced My Favorite Things.
On June 20, 2000, Rhino Records reissued Coltrane Jazz as part of its Atlantic 50th Anniversary Jazz Gallery series. Included were four bonus tracks, two of which had appeared in 1975 on the Atlantic compilation Alternate Takes, the remaining pair earlier issued on in 1995. Two bonus tracks, the alternate versions of "Like Sonny", had been recorded at the March 26, 1959 sessions that were not used for Giant Steps.

Track listing

Side one

Side two

2000 reissue bonus tracks

Personnel