Customer Reviews

Blue Train

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm a 16-year old hip-hop head who's just begun to love jazz. Everytime I listen to John Coltrane's music I feel inspiration. When I get home from a long day at school I put "Blue Train" in my CD-player. Listening to it clears my mind. John Coltrane truly was one of the greatest musicians of all-time, and "Blue Train" truly deserves the title "classic". Jazz is not very popular among young people today, but everyone who says that jazz sucks should do like me and listen to this masterpiece. It surely will change their opinion on this wonderful genre.

Mention the name " Coltrane " in Jazz circles and you're bound to receive a response whose admiration borders on an almost religious style worship. Other than Miles there's simply no one in this remarkable field of Music that has obtained such an incredibly strong, passionate and loyal following as that of John Coltrane. While long considered to be the intellectuals ( I dislike that word but.... ) 'favorite son' in a style of music that is chock-full of 'thinking' musicians Coltrane simply possess a unique position, where virtually he alone resides, all the while composing music that eventually would lead him on a quest where his soulful playing obtained an artistic level that was not only incredibly personal but certainly sought a deeply spiritual meaning as well. And while I won't pretend to understand the almost religious fervor that some friends have for this artist I will state that I do have a great deal of respect for John Coltrane....for the man and the musician as well. And listening to " Blue Train " might help explain why this tenor saxophonist is regarded in such high esteem.

While long being regarded a 'searching' musician, Coltrane and bandmates recorded " Blue Train ", his only Blue Note release, on Sept. 15, 1957. Obviously being well-rehearsed, the title track, an eerie blues selection, is Lee Morgan's real chance to shine. After the intial melody Lee's trumpet makes an energetic statement, followed closely by Curtis Fuller on trombone, and everything here runs extremely 'Hot and Cool'. Plus after 10 odd minutes the listener may be already exhausted, to say nothing of in awe of this bands performance. Following up with " Moment's Notice ", my personal favorite, another fast-paced tune with solo's by Coltrane, Fuller, Morgan and even a bowed bass performance by Paul Chambers, and you'll be amazed at how 'happy' even Coltrane can sound when composing. The ballad " I'm Old-Fashioned ", the only selection not written by him, is a perenial favorite as well, played softly and gently it's a wonderful contrast to the energetic playing that fills up the rest of this remarkable cd. But than again.... I've always been preferential to Ballads anyway! Closing with " Lazy Bird " with a wonderful piano intro by Kenny Drew, and following with solos by Coltrane, Fuller and Paul Chambers ( again using the bow ) and with Lee Morgan ending this track while Coltrane and Curtis ride out the theme. Even I, with my 'tin ear' understood after my very first listen that what I was hearing was a disc filled with songs that were performed by musicians who were not only ultimately honest about their music but incredibly passionate as well. And while I wasn't ready to 'bow to the alter of Coltrane' just yet I was completely enthralled by my purchase.

All in all " Blue Train " is remarkable in the sense that while the music being performed here is extremely free in it's origins it never lose's that sense of control that many jazz cd's, at least for me, seem to be guilty of when letting musicians endlessly 'wander' when soloing. Everything here, individually and collectively, works simply due to the players musical maturity in relating with one another and in each participant understanding his part in these wonderful tracks. And while it's true that in later years Coltrane took his music to a level where I could not join him ( I'm still trying to get through 'A Love Supreme'! ) I do have this incredible disc, plus ' Ballads " and " Giant Steps " to remember not only a quintessential musician but also a man who sought truth and guidance through his music. At hindsight, perhaps my friend's adoration of this inspired tenor saxophonist aren't so completely misguided after all.

Don't get me wrong: this CD is about the best "cool jazz" that's out there, and considering people have been trying unsuccessfully to top it for 40+ years, that's quite a feat. This is the kind of music that leaves a residue on you long after the songs are over, and while it's playing, you'll be humming, toe-tapping, finger-snapping, just in an all-around better mood. The style is good, the instrument balance is good, and Coltrane and Co. are technical maestros on their respective instruments.

Having given this CD my highest recommendation, now let me say you should get the ECD version instead (an enhanced CD). Aside from the CD-ROM bonus material, you'll get two extra songs: alternate takes on "Blue Train" and "Lady Bird" that give you another 15 minutes or so worth of music. As they say, "If you go, go all out." If you're interested in this album (and I hope you are) you might as well go with the "Deluxe Edition" instead of this very basic version.

For those who are considering buying this CD, there's a better version that you may consider getting instead of this one. That one is titled "The Ultimate Blue Train" (1997) with the same cover photo but contains all the tracks on this one plus two extra tracks which are alternate takes of "Blue Train" and "Lazy Bird". Thanks to SBM remastering, that other version also sounds much more lively than this one. "The Ultimate Blue Train" is also enhanced with multimedia which you can play on the PC with video as well. However, if you can't get "The Ultimate Blue Train", you should at least get this classic recording of John Coltrane without which no Jazz collection is complete. In fact, this "Blue Train" is already a very good one. It's only that "The Ultimate Blue Train" is even better.

this is undoubtedly one of the best jazz recordings of all time, but this title is not a full DVD-A. it is a two-channel, 24 Bit, 96kHz DVD-A and as such only explores half the possibilities of the format. Even so, it sounds TWICE as good as the CD, which i also have, and i regularly use this as a comparison for people who doubt the power of 24 bits.

So if you are a coltrane fan, this is about the best recording you can have - but if you are a patient man my advice would be to wait for the full 192 kHz version which will undoubtedly be released in the future.

I bought this DVD based on the other anonymous review here and was very surprised to find the audio quality to be mediocre. Apparently, the original recording was processed to remove analog tape noise. You can here the noise modulation at times on the horns and other instruments. More disturbing is the constricted, non-dynamic sound. Most CD's sound far superior ! Do not waste your money on this version, buy the regular CD instead if you want this excellent performance. BTW, I am using high-end equipment (Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Martin Logan)

i disagree with the reviewer that said to buy the enhanced CD instead. Bonus tracks have nothing on the increased fidelity of DVD. Note that this remaster is only at 96kHz, which is half the capacity of DVD-Audio, but more than twice the quality of CD.

I use this particular DVD-A to demonstrate the difference in quality vs. the CD and every single person that has heard it has come away amazed. The difference in timbre, the bend of the notes, the sustain of the piano, all come through so much more vibrant on DVD-A.

So my recommendation is buy this DVD, even if you already have the CD (or in my case, the CD, cassette and LP!)

Only a misguided jazz philistine would consider this work anything other than essential, but a few words specifically about Blue Note's DVD-audio version: Unlike a growing number of other titles in this new format, this is a stereo recording, not remastered to other multichannel formats like Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS. That said, this is truly a reference recording, described by the liner notes as Master Tape Sound (MTS). The greater presence, clarity, and dynamic range offered by the 24-bit/96kHz digital data stream is easily discernable even on low-end systems. There will probably never be a more definitive version of this recording. Highly recommended.

If you are a John Coltrane or jazz fan, and if you enjoy "Blue Train", I highly recommend getting "The Ultimate Blue Train"... available from Amazon. It has the same 5 original songs, plus 2 alternate takes of Blue Train and Lazy Bird, plus it is newly remastered and is enhanced with many interviews with the other players and Rudy Van Gelder, plus a video of Miles Davis and John Coltrane performing "So What" and tons of photos. This version is great, but the "Ultimate" is so much better and worth the few extra dollars.

Blue Note released a slew of these "blowing sessions" in it's heyday, but what makes this one unique is that it's John Coltrane's one and only recording for the label. Blue Train finds 'Trane leading a sextet as opposed to his familiar later work in the quartet format. The Miles Davis rhythm section of Paul Chambers and "Philly" Joe Jones is joined by trombonist Curtis Fuller, blues influenced pianist Kenny Drew and the outstanding trumpet player Lee Morgan.

The set kicks off with the familiar "Blue Train" one of Coltrane's most memorable themes. The band chugs along to the fast blues while everybody but Jones solos, with Drew and the horn players getting plenty of room to stretch out.

"Moment's Notice" makes it clear that this is the kind of session where just about everybody is going to solo on each cut. This track is happy and upbeat after the bluesy opener. To me it has an almost New Orleans-y vibe especially in Lee's solo.

"Locomotion" is an uptempo blues with nice use of some unison horn riffing and more fine soloing all around in hard bop mode.

"I'm Old Fashioned" is the only standard in the set and the only ballad, a a style Coltrane handles with his usual authority.

"Lazy Bird" brings things to a close as the band barely touches on the theme, seeming as though they can't wait to take off on the round of solos. It's the perfect summation of the free-blowing mood of the record.

Any jazz collection, any Blue Note collection, any Coltrane collection...heck any music collection should include Blue Train.