Customer Reviews

Best of

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All the other reviews that i have read on this page refer to the best of coltrane that is put out by atlantic -but according to the songs listed and the picture and the fact that it is stated above - the album that is on this page is the Pablo Records, The Best of John Coltrane, a title that may be a bit deceiving as this album is not a typical "best of" album but in fact is a collection of live tracks recorded on tour in Germany. But the title is no exageration and this may very well be the best of coltrane, much more so than the atlantic records "best of" (rather than buy that best of album you should just get the albums that atlantic takes the tracks from). this album however, showcases coltrane and his famous quartet featuring elvin jones, mccoy tyner, and jimmy garrison who are, as usual brilliant. tyner sounds like he has 27 fingers with which to play the piano, and jones explodes on these sets to the point that you begin to imagine that they are on a battlefield. also the sound of these recordings is gigantic, you can literally hear the physical space in which the instruments and performers are working - unlike the village vanguard recordings, it sounds as if the auditorium that they are in is quite large and you can hear that distance and the acoustic integrity of the space in the music. this is an incredible album and probably my favorite coltrane joint.

At least two of the customer reviews above refer to a different album than the Pablo 'Best of...' There is no rendition of 'My Favorite Things,' for example. Other than that, the recording is a bit tinny, though the jamming is of the highest caliber. If you are just starting out with Coltrane, I would suggest a different album as a 'first buy.'

In many ways, if you're new to Coltrane, this isn't the CD I'd typically recommend you start off with. First off, it's more or less a "greatest hits" from his Atlantic period, and I'm prone to believe that such compilations--while broadly illustrative of a particular period in an artist's career (or sometimes an artist's entire career)--do little justice to the particularities of an artist's conception. Better off to get two or three actual "albums"--that way, you get a concise statement of what an artist was thinking at a particular time, rather than a pieced-together assemblage of music from different sessions.

That said, I love this recording. It is the first Coltrane recording I purchased. IF you're new to Trane, buy this first. Read the illuminating, lucid liner notes by the great Nat Hentoff. That'll prime you better than anything to Coltrane's musical philosophy. Then listen to the album. My Favorite Things, Naima, Equinox--seminal recordings from a seminal artist.

These recordings have all since been remastered and re-issued on CD; but please start here. I'll bet that this CD will be out of print soon since Atlantic is re-issuing all of Trane's original albums from that period. Get it while you still can!

This album by Coltrane is amazing. I have listened to it so many times I cannot count. I find that, when there is a gentle rain outside, and your all alone, you can put this CD on, open the window, light some candles grab a glass of deep red wine and enjoy. You will feel so great just after a few minutes!

I bought my first copy of this recording on 8 track tape and played it until I wore it out ( not hard to do with an 8 track) Over the past 26 years, I've owned this recording on LP, cassette and CD and have never tired of it.Like New Orleans on a steamy summer night, this is what jazz is meant to be.

The music on this is classic, as is most of John Coltrane's work. All of the albums he did on Atlantic, from around 1958 to 1960, such as Giant Steps, scale from fantastic to essential, and this is culled from those. None of the Impulse material is here, and that is more than half the stroy.

If you want to learn Coltrane, this is like seeing the credits of a movie, not the movie. If you want some great songs, some nice jazz around the house, get this. But for anyone making even the faintest stab at Coltrane, this does not even begin to cover first base.

this should serve as a purpose to give you a small view of the masterly touch of John Coltrane. if you like what you hear, seek out his albums from where these songs came.

Totally HEAVEN!The late-great John Coltrane just puts me there.McCoy Tyner on ivory,Jimmy Garri- son on upright bass,and time-keepin Elvin Jones on skins.

Don't let the low price fool you! This low budget collection is PERFECT from start to finish! Especially if you're just getting into John Coltrane. Atlantic Records would go on to release 9 (Nine) John Coltrane albums!...Some were big sellers...Some were not...Some were compiled after his death. THIS collection concentrate on his cuts from his biggest selling Atlantic albums: "Giant Steps" in which 2 (Two) cuts was pulled from that..."Giant Steps", "Naima" and "Cousin Mary". "My Favorite Things" in which the Title Track "My Favorite Things" was pulled. "Coltrane's Sound" from that the classic "Equinox" and "Central Park Avenue" was pulled from that album. Yeah!, It's only a total of 6 (Six), but 6 (Six) HITS! They could have added other tracks, but then it would have probley lost a little flavor...This is seasoned (And priced) just right! GET IT!!!

If you're looking for the best introduction to the great John Coltrane and his amazing virtuosity, composition and soul, the Atlantic best-of album is the best of the lot, containing his signature tunes such as My Favorite Things, Giant Steps, and Central Park West, Naima and others. This is a stunning album from the choice of songs to the order in which they are presented. After all these years and all the Coltrane albums I've purchased and cherished, this is still the album I play more than all the others. His constant and extraordinary bandmates, drummer Elvin Jones and pianist McCoy Tyner--both jazz legends in their own right--are equal to Coltrane's genius.