Customer Reviews

My Favorite Things

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many would be quick to tell you that "A Love Supreme" is the unquestionable Coltrane masterpiece, but "My Favorite Things" deserves consideration. Recorded when Coltrane was moving away from hard-bop and closer to his own free-form compositions, this album is a literal representation of Coltrane in the middle of his career, and the playing shows an all-around gorgeous band exploring the beauty of these standards. The most impressive contribution is the bright work of pianist McCoy Tyner. Some view jazz albums not as a collection of songs but as one whole suite; this is an example of an albums that flows in such a way. The band carefully waves in and out of the melodies without ever drifting away from them. Coltrane does some of his most gentle sorprano sax playing here that is wonderfully offset by the energetic trio behind him.

Those of you interested in Coltrane who don't know where to begin and are hesistant about Coltrane's free-form albums that began with "A Love Supreme" should start with this album. A beautiful gift to all of us.

When I started liking jazz at 17 (Can it really be 40 years ago?) I avoided Coltrane, because he was into some "free-form" dissonance that was too radical for my ear. I did Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" instead (great) and some Brubeck, some Shearing, Maynard Ferguson, Tito Puente, Modern Jazz Quartet and a little Miles Davis. I never did get around to Coltrane until this week. This album came out when I was in 10th grade, just prior to Mr. Coltrane getting so experimental. I wish I had been wise enough to buy it then, but I am so glad to have it now. Listening to this with earphones is a religious experience. The nearly 14 minutes of "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music" is worth the price of the CD all by itself. That one piece is kind of a text as to the functioning of a jazz quartet, the dissection and expansion of a popular song, the sensuous joy of soprano saxophone. The next song, Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye" is less than half as long, but there is room within it for pianist McCoy Tyner to have a lovely solo into my left ear, followed by a great solo bass part by Steve Davis into the right ear, with drummer Elvin Jones doing steady, supportive quiet work throughout, and then Coltrane's sax coming back on the right to restate the main theme. Remarkable sounds. The second half of the record has Coltrane switching to tenor sax for a lengthy uptempo version of "Summertime" that gets better with each minute, but which is quite a departure from the normal way we have always heard the standard from "Porgy and Bess." The last piece, "But Not For Me" is one of my all-time Gershwin favorites. Without the wonderful lyrics, it doesn't have all of its power, but Coltrane, Tyner, Davis and Jones do some amazing things within its framework. All in all, this is what I would consider an American jazz essential recording to own.

If it weren't for my late father, a passionate lover of jazz, chances are I would never have bothered with John Coltrane--and quite possibly the whole genre altogether. If "A Love Supreme" and "Blue Train" are two of this saxaphonist's best albums, then "My Favorite Things" has to rank a close third. Never before have I heard such a lovely reinterpretation of the classic title song as performed by Coltrane. His warm and inviting sax glides with ease through this 13 minute piece, which is also highlighted by the excellent piano work of McCoy Tyner. The lively "Summertime" is just flat-out perfect and shows Coltrane at his most expressive and skillful, and the bass and drums, from Steve Davis and Elvin Jones respectively, blend nicely into the mix. "My Favorite Things" is a classy and elegant CD that's required listening for anyone who is into jazz and also interested in this incredibly talented saxaphonist.

The same reviews and comments appear on Amazon's listings for different versions of Coltrane's My Favorite Things, so there's some confusion with respect to the real album and a bootleg recording with the same name but of a different recording session. Click the links in here to see what's what.

The "original" version of this album has on its cover a blue background and a waist-length picture of Coltrane holding a soprano sax. My Favorite Things, original version link. It contains four songs:
1. My Favorite Things
2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
3. Summertime
4. But Not For Me
This is the version to which my five star rating applies.

And there is a "deluxe" edition of the original album, with a gray cover and a small insert picture of the original album art. My Favorite Things [Deluxe Edition]. Plus there are import versions of the original album, with the original cover art surrounded by a purple square border. My Favorite Things, import version link. All of those contain a total of six songs, including the original four, plus extras My Favorite Things, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.

The "bootleg" version people are referring to is presumably the one that has a swirly gray background on its cover art and a close up picture of Coltrane, with the words "Fourstar Masters of Jazz". My Favorite Things, bootleg MP3 link. That album contains six songs:
1. My Favorite Things
2. Blue Train
3. Impressions
4. Spiritual
5. Naima
6. Traneing In
That album is currently available only as MP3 download. (It says it is also available in CD format, but if you click that link within the MP3 listing, you get the original CD, not one that corresponds to this bootleg recording.) The sound quality of the bootleg is noticeably inferior to the original album recording. And, of course, the bootleg isn't even the same music.

There is also a "legitimate" live album called My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport, which has a cover with a black background and contains six tracks:
1. I Want To Talk About You
2. My Favorite Things
3. Impressions
4. Spoken Introduction
5. One Down, One Up
6. My Favorite Things

Most of these versions are available as both CDs and MP3 downloads, so it's not particularly useful to attempt to distinguish them by CD vs. MP3.

I put off buying this heralded album for a while because of a slightly irrational bias towards the title cut. Could even the great John Coltrane rescue the song from "The Sound of Music" that has become a theme song for the insipid and bland? As everybody else already knew, the answer is an emphatic "yes." Coltrane loses none of the joy of the original, and actually increases it. His virtuoso playing reaches new emotional depths, showing that one need not infantilize a song to express pure childlike glee. Although the players give the album a generally unified sound--accessible but experimental, light and joyful yet emotionally dense--I review the cuts individually below. Truly an outstanding album, recommended for jazz newcomers and veterans alike, and probably the best introduction to the post-1950's Coltrane, when the man really began his own "new thing."

My Favorite Things
Pianist McCoy Tyner sets the pace and mood for Coltrane's lead sax. "Trane" gradually modifies the initial theme by varying the tone and note selection. Tyner trades leads on the main motif, and then, after experimenting with differently paced note repetitions, he gives the melody several twists--close to the original, but considerably fresher. Coltrane returns with a stronger, more confident reading, as if he and the band, having paid homage to the familiar, are now free to do their own thing. Coltrane blows long strings of notes, sometimes pinching them (a little like Jackie McClain) and, at other times, cascading the sounds like raindrops. Elvin Jones' tapping drums and Tyner's insistent piano add to this rainfall effect; one wonders whether precipitation is one of their favorite things. Finally, Coltrane finishes with a glorious twisting profusion of notes, spinning around his backing and ending on a tone of celebration and renewal. The playing is not overtly spiritual, but it has a similar effect. Though the song is not at all "difficult," it's definitely a great introduction for the Coltrane initiate.

Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Over a languorous background that recalls the Bill Evans trio, Coltrane plays this ballad with sensitivity and lyricism. Tyner enters with a truly beautiful solo that emphasizes long strings of notes and superb chord dynamics. I'm really quite taken with the shimmering quality of the piece, another rainy day atmospheric piece that deeply interplays dark and light moods.

Summertime
The band takes a more swinging, bold, and muscular approach. Coltrane reaches upwards with strong, rapid fire phrases, bassist Steve Davis is all over the map, Jones adds boppish drum accents, and Tyner combines his percussive and melodic powers. Coltrane's at the forefront, however, his pure, from-the-gut blowing giving the cut its power and heart. Tyner and JOnes continue in this strong, imaginative manner with superb bop playing. Davis finally has a bass solo, his thoughtful playing bursts with creative impulse (although an appreciation of the bass and repeated listening will yield the greatest rewards). Later, Chambers duos with Jones (sounding like Max Roach, but with fewer pyrotechnics) in an interesting, although not essential section. Coltrane closes the piece with some fierce playing, before leading the song briefly back to the melody.

But Not for Me
This has one of the most original opening riffs of modern jazz; it's like the famous Gillespie opening to "All the Things You Are." Coltrane restates the opening theme with some flat notes and a tone that is both sad and defiant. Overall, it has an unmistakable Coltrane sound, including his rapid, whirling notes. The approach is dissonant yet within harmonically reach of the melody. In other words, he expresses the melody through finding notes that mesh harmonically. At times, the riffs and even the melodic restatement sounds a bit like "A Love Supreme." As always, the rhythm section, especially the driving bass, brilliantly propels the song. During Coltrane's sax journeys, Tyner punctuates the sound percussiony accents. About midway through, he breaks into his own version of the theme, then takes off into a fluid--but hard-hitting and slightly abstract--solo that takes side trips along Coltrane's territory. The outstanding main riff and overall approach appropriately darkens the Gershwin tune, so that the brooding message ("they're singing songs of love, but not for me") is less the playful punning of lyricist Ira Gershwin, and more an acknowledgement and resistance of love's disappointment.

An album you'll play over and over again, with fresh insights and continued enjoyment each time.

BEWARE; this offering is deceptive. I'm sure Amazon isn't attempting to mislead people, but the fact is all these glowing reviews you are reading ARE NOT FOR THIS ALBUM. They are for the original Atlantic Records album, called "My Favorite Things" which, except for the title cut. has completely different songs on it. The original album is a timeless classic which completely deserves all the praise heaped on it, but the album they are offering here looks like a cheaper bootleg - there are many bootleg Coltrane albums on the market with these low-tech looking graphics and poor sound quality. I'm not saying this one is bad...I have never heard it - but the point is, most of these reviewers have never heard it either. You are totally buying this at your own risk.

Worth pointing out that (at least as of this writing) that the MP3 version pointed to from the album listing is NOT the great 1961 Atlantic recording. The MP3s are from (I think) a live television broadcast which also included Eric Dolphy on flute. The sound quality is less than stellar as a result. That said, these are great performances and well worth hearing. Just look at the track list and make sure you are getting what you expect.

I was first exposed to Coltrane's later avant-garde work, like A Love Supreme, the weird Selflessness and the sonic nightmares Om and Ascesion, but then I got a copy of My Favorite Things, a song from a musical I HATE w/ a passion (The Sound of Music). Coltrane's version of the song is much better than the original one, because it omits the goofy and pretentious lyrics, added Eastern flavored styles to jazz and Coltrane and his band mates reworked it in an unusual but interesting time signature (6/4 I believe). Plus the solos by Coltrane on the song are absolutely amazing. The entire 10+ minutes of the track keep you interested and satisfied. The other 3 songs on this album are awesome as well. My Favorite Things may be Coltrane at his most accessible, but it certainly will appeal to more people than his later works, and is an esential to any jazz collection, or any CD collection, just like A Love Supreme or Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.

What can I say. This a beautiful album. "My favorite things" is a masterpiece alone. For about 14min Trane and his quartet are in a trance. I can literally meditate to this song. A stroke of genious to add the "middle eastern" feel to the song. (Figures since at the time Tranes was heavily into studying Islamic religions) It is so wonderfully simple too, but entirely complex. You can't really take it all in on first listen. And Trane on Soprano saxophone is a true joy. The soprano saxophone is such a difficult instrument to play as far as tonality and pitch. And useually you get such a nasally tone from it, like Kenny G's playing. But Trane soprano tone is wonderful, like an ear durm massage. Mccoy Tyner's solo in "MFT" is also wonderful. Many times you hear Mccoy leaning towards the edge in his playing, but here, it's simple, elagant, angellic almost. Superb. But actually my favorite song on the album is "But not for me". I've heard and played this song so many times, but when I heard Tranes rendition, I didn't recognze it, until I listened to it a few times and relized he'd taken the chord changes and fit them over his famous (or infamous if your jazz student) Coltrane changes. These are the same changes used in the song "Giant Steps". Hearing that made laugh at how crazy it was. Unbelieveble. For anyone who want to get into Jazz, this is a great album to start with.

This album is a great place to start if your looking to jump head first into the genre of jazz. Elvin Jones is the greatest drummer of our lifetime, and pushes Coltrane's sax to the brink of disaster and the outer reaches of another spiritual world. My Favorite Things is an experience, one that will get you rolling on John's train of melodic bliss. Rhino/Atlantic does an excellent job of remastering the original tapes, and the liner notes are superb. "Summertime" will blow you away if you have any grasp of your mind, and the cohesion on this record flows well. A superb job, much appreciatio to Rhino, and Coltrane's fabulous rhythm section of Jones, Steve Davis, and McCoy Tyner.