Customer Reviews

Gentle Side of John Coltrane

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An apology- I'm not a jazz purist but I know what I love. Coltrane tends to loose me easily- I just never 'got' Blue Train or many of his more out there albums. Sue me but I can't follow them. I'm not impressed by the 'sheats of sound,' delivery which was ascribed to him by music journalists and jazz-nerds as 'his trademark sound.'

For me, this is Coltrane's trademark sound; because this transcends jazz. He handles these tunes so deftly you'd think he wrote them or dreamt them. His skillful improvisations slip from anguish to ecstasy in seconds and his playing dances across the range of human expression effortlessly. Coltrane demonstrates that a handful of well-chosen notes played with soul-crushing intensity can be just as (if not more) inspiring and illuminating than blasting away hundreds of notes... with no spirit to ignite and guide one's delivery.

If you know someone who, 'just doesn't like jazz' this is one of the albums that may just cause them to re-orient their perspective.

On this remarkable little CD you get a number of selections from Coltrane's "Ballads," album as well as two songs with the ever-sonorous Johnny Hartman's understated vocals. I recommend both albums (B000003N7I and B000003N7K, respectively) without reservation.

After the Rain (Coltrane covers Nelson?), Soul Eyes, Nancy With the Laughing Face, and In a Sentimental Mood are some personal favorites, but the album is simpy a treasure trove of sublimely played gems. This album works for writing, reading, staring over a candle lit dinner at that special somebody, lifting, running, chess-playing, everything except jumping rope (then agin, I haven't really tried...)

And for all you diggers and beat-makers out there- every second of this album is a sample looking to happen.

Jazz for many is an intimidating genre of music and thus seems inaccessible. Unfortunately, this has also bread a slew of pretentious "connoisseurs" of jazz who quickly poo poo the idea that jazz can be a simple, beautiful yet profound experience. For such an experience, especially if you are a newcomer to this great world of jazz, buy this album.

John Coltrane's music, like the man, was always evolving and changing. However, this collection of his work demonstrates the sheer elegance with which he practiced his art.

Except for the swing era, jazz never became popular music. However, many of us are drawn to it because of its mystery and depth. If this is your first dive into this wonderful and invigorating abyss, buy this album. Then once you are fully immersed in the richness of Coltrane, get "Crescent" and move on to "Giant Steps." This gradual progression will convince you that you have made the right move. More importantly, it will make you realize what treasures are still to be found in this wonderful world of ours. This album makes that effort a bit more accessible.

Coltrane sounds wonderful here, and it's undoubtedly one of his most accessible works. That said, however, it's also somewhat less challenging and interesting than other CDS. For example, I much prefer the similar Coltrane/Johnny Hartman disc, where Coltrane's soulful sax is accompanied with near perfection by vocalist Hartman--it's one of the best jazz vocal albums ever made.

Still, for relaxing and romantic straightforward jazz, this is hard to top. Coltrane achieves a marvelous, emotive sound, and his limber fingerings and creative reworking of these selections are the work of a master. Some may call this Coltrane-light, but if you want great songs interpreted with ease, fluidity, and imagination, this relaxing, mellow CD will be your cup of Trane.

The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane is full of quietly attractive songs. The playing is flawless and smooth. This music expresses so much so beautifully. Sometimes it reminscent of a stroll on a cool cloudless summer night ("Soul Eyes"). "What's New" sounds like what it feels like to meet an old friend and catch up on the past...first the initial trepidation, then actually getting to "What's New." "Welcome" sounds a lot like "Happy Birthday"; but it is a great song. My two favorite songs on the disc are "My Little Brown Book" and "In A Sentimental Mood." Incidentally, these are the two tracks that Duke Ellington mans the piano on...but that's not the only reason why I like them. I like "My Little Brown Book" because Coltrane's tone and timing are absolutely perfect. Talk about a great sound..."My Little Brown Book" is it. I like "In A Sentimental Mood" because it simply is the best song-its both moving and thoughtful. "In A Sentimental Mood" also features the best drum playing on the disc. The drums seem to be asking questions and then resigning themselves to the answers. There is a whole lot to like about these very stylish recordings. I recommend that you get the CD and listen to it for yourself. This is great stuff.

John Coltrane is best known for pushing the limits of jazz, but in its own way, this gentle, serene collection does the same thing. Trane shows amazing control of soft tones, a gentleness that is profound, a fullness and richness that is slow paced and fulfilling. For your quiet times, this is an amazing accompaniment. I have listened to this album countless times. It is in my bloodstream. It has invaded my lymph nodes. It has settled at the base of my brain, and I am thereby renewed.

THIS WAS MY SECOND COLTRANE ALBUM PURCHASED,I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THIS ALBUM BECAUSE IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT,ITS VERY SMOOTH AND SOOTHING JAZZ! COLTRANE SOUND IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND RELAXING. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO ANYONE WHO IS EXPLORING DIFFERENT COLTRANE ALBUMS,OR JUST WANTS A SOLID ALBUM.

First of all I admit I don't really care for the more innovative and experimental work that was really Mr. C's hallmark. It gets a little too loud and noisy for my aging ears. (Don't mean to offend anyone). So his take on some traditional material here I find much more enjoyable. Every number here is great,playing with Duke on IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD, doing old time torchers like WHATS NEW, or new takes on Sinatra classics like NANCY and MY ONE AND ONLY LIVE. The lesser known tunes are just as good and just as gentle. This CD makes a perfect gift for the 40-plus person generally unfamiliar with jazz, but who has an open mind and appreciates beautifully done and simply beautiful songs!

Even gentle giants can shake the ground. There was only one John Coltrane. To attempt to splinter him into sides or personae makes as much sense as picking and choosing between Blake's "Songs of Innocence" and its complementary if not integral "Songs of Experience." Both are expressions of a single visionary genius. One is incomplete, indeed incomprehensible, without the other.

On this collection Coltrane joins musical line to breath stream so naturally that the effect is more suggestive of a deep meditation than of public performance. For twelve songs the listener is lulled by the sound of power in abeyance, of explosive energy held in check. But the Creator ends his Sabbatical with the thirteenth song, "I Want to Talk About You" (from "Live at Birdland"), with its scorching "sheets of sound" cadenza (one of the most remarkable moments in the history of recorded jazz--I nearly drove off the road when I first heard it). Has the Maker returned us to Chaos or simply exposed the dynamic energies that lurk beneath the tranquil surface of a paradoxical Creation?

It's the inclusion of that final number that makes this an anthology worth owning. The compilers could have chosen to finish with a benign benediction, another ballad such as Coltrane's ethereal version of "Stardust," allowing us to remain safe and comfortable within the giant's calming embrace. To their credit, they take us deep into the thrilling roar and fiery blast of the smithy's furnace, providing a Blake-like glimpse of the artistic psyche and of creative power itself. Having experienced the gentle nature of the Lamb, the listener must now confront the question of the inscrutable, complex genius that gave it birth: "Tiger, tiger burning bright in the forests of the night--what immortal hand dare frame thy fearful symmetry"?

This album offers the perfect introduction to Coltrane. Coltrane was the greatest exponent of the jazz ballad in history. Unlike his uptempo music which, although breathtaking at all times, does tend to become too intense and complex for some listeners (not me) this music is simple but still retains Coltrane's unique musical personality. Coltrane was never one to over do a ballad. He preferred to state it simply and honestly and maybe add the odd augmentation for style. This music is taken from a period spanning about five or six years. During those years Coltrane underwent dramatic changes in his style, the direction of which can be generally be classified as an ascent towards greater complexity and and intensity. It is interesting therefore to see how his ballad playing never changed and always stayed simple and to the point. Coltrane had the most beautiful saxophone sound in all of jazz. It was powerful and had a wail that was only comparable to Parker. These recordings showcase Coltrane, free of the technical and dynamical intensity that characterise most of his music, especially his later works, and instead baring his soul using his greatest gift - his sound.

This was one of my favorite John Coltrane records, as a double album released in 1974. I was pleased to see it here but disappointed to see a couple of numbers trimmed, I assume to fit on one CD. I could have done without "Wise One", but the version of "The Spiritual" that ended the original record is a real loss here. And if "Alabama" was cut down from the original 5:05 recording, as stated by one reviewer, that really is an awful thing to do to one of the better songs here.

I may break down and buy a turntable.