Customer Reviews

Soultrane (20 Bit Mastering)

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If you're not yet sure that you want to take on mid-to-late'60s Trane, but you've got a taste for straight-ahead, no-nonsense jazz, this is the CD for you. This was the first record (you know, those vinyl things?) of Trane's that I bought, and it has remained a frequently played staple of my collection.

"Soultrane" was released in 1958, a pivotal year in Trane's development. He had absorbed well the lessons learned by playing in Miles' sextet and was playing with increasing confidence. That confidence virtually oozes out of the tracks on this release. From the opening cut, "Good Bait," through the scorching closer, "Russian Lullabye," the saxophonist is in complete control of his instrument, unleashing those famous "sheets of sound" that were his signature at this time.

Tellingly, he also stepped up to the plate on two ballads: "I Want to Talk About You," which he was to reinvent at various points later in his career, and "Theme for Ernie," a poignant tribute to the saxophonist Ernie Henry. Both of these performances demonstrate the lyrical cry that made Coltrane one of the best ballad interpreters of his or any other time.

While many point to "Blue Trane" as Coltrane's pivotal '50s release (it's a great album, no doubt), "Soultrane," for me is an even better example of the amazing development in his playing between 1955-1958. A year later, he would release "Giant Steps," and the legend was ready to grow. Anyone interested in following the development of this great artist should not exclude "Soultrane" from his or her collection.

When this album was recorded in February of 1958, John Coltrane was still an up an coming young tenor. As a solo artist outside of Miles Davis' group he had recorded his classic album "Blue Train" the previous year and was still almost exactly a year from cutting his breakthrough album "Giant Steps", leaving this album in a bit of a historical middleground. While this is not one of his better known sessions, it has moments that display his genius, and hints of what is to come. The moment that shines brightest is 'Trane's tender take on Billy Eckstine's "I Want To Talk About You". Coltrane's tenor is tender and haunting, one of his all time great ballad performances. Supported on this session by the rock solid trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums, Coltrane is at ease with his sympathetic sidemen. Having recorded together several times, the familarity shows in their tight, cohesive performances. The mood of the tracks is generally laidback save for the uptempo "You Say You Care", and when Coltrane puts on a furious display of his "sheets of sound" approach on the cd's final track, "Russian Lullaby". This is an album that features Coltrane coming into his own during a crucial phase of his career, and is a classic. Recommended.

This is a great c.d! Although none of these songs were written by Coltrane himself, the sax-master interprets the songs into his own style and seems to make them his own. This c.d. was originally recorded in '57 and is one of his first c.d.'s playing as a leader. The c.d. is both swingin' and gentle at times. I rate it with the likes of 'Giant Steps'. Great! Please try!

1957 was the watershed year for John Coltrane -- on earlier recordings with Miles Davis and others, he occasionally sounded tentative or overambitious. But by the time he went into the studio in February '58 to record Soultrane, he had made the transition from being just another hard bop saxophonist to becoming one of the most revolutionary musicians in jazz. He sounds confident and full of fresh ideas on each of the five selections here, his playing has increased in density ("sheets of sound"), and his rhythm section (Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor) always swings. The quartet takes Tadd Dameron's "Good Bait" at a bouncy, mid-tempo pace. Coltrane's first recording of Bill Eckstine's "I Want to Talk About You" is also on the record; it's beautiful and respectful but lacks the passionate intensity of later live versions. The album closes out with a moving elegy to alto saxophonist Ernie Henry ("Theme for Ernie") and a torrential version of Irving Berlin's "Russian Lullaby". This isn't a masterpiece on the level of Blue Train, but it is one of Coltrane's best recordings on the Prestige label and features him at the beginning of his "sheets of sound" period. It also provides a nice complement to the classic Milestones album which he recorded at about the same time with the Miles Davis sextet.

SOULTRANE is a hidden gem from Coltrane's earlier catalogue. Recorded in 1958, we catch Trane at a point in his career where he is just beginning to establish himself as a major force in jazz. Backing him up are Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Art Taylor (drums).

This disc opens up with a Basie standard, 'Good Bait' and from the beginning we are hit with Trane's powerful and intense tone that does not wither at all through the entire album. This is also the period where Trane developed his much talked about "Sheets of Sound"-style playing. This is evident in 'Russian Lullaby' as well as the original recording of Billy Eckstine's 'I Want to Talk About You'. This track would appear several other times on records such as LIVE AT NEWPORT '63, AFRO BLUE IMPRESSIONS, and LIVE AT BIRDLAND. The track's appearance on SOULTRANE is somewhat lacking as we do not get the earth-shattering codas that he performs on these other records. It is also evident that Trane is being limited by the musicians in this quartet. Paul Chambers would go on to play with Trane on GIANT STEPS, but Red Garland is a second rate lounge pianist when compared to someone like McCoy Tyner.

Paul Chambers shines on 'You Say You Care' and this is just a taste of the swinging hard bop we would hear on GIANT STEPS. 'Theme for Ernie' is a beautiful ballad which showcases Trane's lyrical charm. We can tell from listening to SOULTRANE that Coltrane has a plethora of ideas and at times he sounds unsure of where to use them, but his versatility on records such as this never bore the listener, even though we know he has future recordings that eclipse this one. Nonetheless, this is still an amazing recording, and I consider it to be essential for any Coltrane collection.

It should also be noted that if you purcahase the 4-cd set of Miles/Trane and Miles/Stitt at Stockholm 1960, there is a Coltrane interview on the first disc. In the interview, Coltrane is asked what he personally feels are his best recordings to date, and he names BLUE TRAIN and SOULTRANE.

This is a great c.d! Although none of these songs were written by Coltrane himself, the sax-master interprets the songs into his own style and seems to make them his own. This c.d. was originally recorded in '57 and is one of his first c.d.'s playing as a leader. The c.d. is both swingin' and gentle at times. I rate it with the likes of 'Giant Steps'. Great! Please try!