Customer Reviews

Soultrane

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I submitted a review of this two months ago pointing out that the track listing is completely wrong for this CD. It has not been published, so I am resubmitting. This album actually contains the following five tunes: Good Bait; I Want to Talk About You; You Say You Care; Theme for Ernie and Russian Lullaby. Fellow players are Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums. It lasts 40 minutes and was engineered by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder in early 1958. At that time Coltrane was not into the "free jazz" and dissonance which marked his 1965-67 releases on the Impulse label. The sounds here are adventurous but melodic and won't scare away the non-avant garde jazz lover at all. This is one of the best of his releases from the late 50's as a leader, and was created just a year before he showed up as a vital part of Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" production. If you like saxophone, buy this. You won't be sorry.

John Coltrane was about as close as one could get to being a musical god, there is no question about that. His music was mostly improvised, yet maintained a level of consistently high quality. I love this album. I truly think that it could be a contender for one of his best, (quite a feat for such a prolific artist.)His soloing on this album is superb, a lot of it vertical, (harmonically based rather than melodically.)Every song on here is great and even though they are all covers, Coltrane manages to make a bold personal statement with each one of them. From the beautiful Billy Eckstine ballad "I Want to Talk About you", to Irving Berlin's "Russian Lullaby" played at breakneck speed, this is most simply one of the greatest jazz albums I have ever heard. Fans of Coltrane for some reason seem to discount his earlier albums as inferior to later works such as "A Love Supreme" and "My Favorite Things" but this album is one of his best. After he ditched the "Hard Bop" movement but was not yet overcome by the Avant Garde free jazz movement. An excellent album. Deserves every one of those five stars and more. Also much easier to digest than some of his later experememental works.

What made John Coltrane such a great musician is that he used the saxaphone not as an instrument but rather as a voice. He could scream loudly, whisper softly, or emote convincingly through all his tracks. "Soultrane" provides ample evidence of his mastery of expression through his remarkable playing. The 12-minute rendition of "Good Bait" has Coltrane in smooth form, and is well supported by Paul Chambers on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums. "I Want to Talk About You" is a slow number that Coltrane brings to life with his soft touches, making it all the more romantic and tender. Then, there's "Russian Lullaby," which is a fast and furious rush of jazzed-up energy; it's amazing to see Coltrane keep up with the hurried tempo of this track. He seems to master it without ever breaking a sweat. Immeasurably talented and cool beyond measure, Coltrane's mark on music is tremendous, and this album is another stellar entry in his extensive line of work.

an excellent outing from Coltrane in 1958. the playing is flawless and full of talent. "Theme For Ernie" and "Russian Lullabye" are especially exquisite. a nice album.

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.

Soultrane is an excellent collection of jazzy tunes, performed and arranged by some of the best players of its time. Side 1 consists of the classic "Good Bait" and is followed by a beautiful ballad called "I Want to Talk About You". Side 2 has three more tracks, all of which rank among some of Coltrane's best performances. It's great to see that this album has been reissued on vinyl. It feels like it's about 140 grams, but the record itself has absolutely no unwanted surface noise and is perfectly flat. Great pressing, great music. Dig it

A wonderful CD, and a great listen. A classic in jazz! This makes for a wonderful album to listen to when waking up.

This album is probably my first introduction to the artistry of John Coltrane. Prior to that I had heard him as a sideman on Davis' "Kind of Blue" album but not until this album did I warm to 'Trane's sound (I favored at that time Cannonball's sound instead of Coltrane's). The tunes are all suited to 'Trane's sound like Dameron/Gillespie's "Good Bait" to the saxophone calisthetics of "Russian Lullabye" and the memorial to altoist Ernie Henry, "Theme for Ernie". Trane's sound is brighter and fuller than in "Traneing In" recorded several months in '57 to this album. If you want some early 'Trane, consider this or "Blue Trane"--you can't go wrong!!

This might be my favorite Coltrane album. The greatest tenor player ever displayed his virtuosity on the speedy "Russian Lullaby," but he also revealed a deeper, more introspective side to his playing. There is an incredible prescence and potent atmosphere on this record from 1958, especially on the two ballads, and "A Theme for Ernie" in particular. If you like jazz, and particularly Coltrane, you'll find yourself playing this cd again and again. It's that good!

For heaven's sake. It's John Coltrane! Five stars is laughable. Music to soothe the savage beast, which is you. Not to be described. If you are a jazz neophyte, this as good an album as any to begin with. If you are an afficionado, you already have worn through several discs. Don't make me come over there and smack you. Buy it and put it on. Be human. Find your brain and your soul and introduce them to the rest of you. Keep in mind that your Kenny G and Celine Dion discs will become intolerably vile should you lower the lights and listen to Mr Coltrane. It's not such a loss. Go on. Raise the standards. Feel your heart swell. Sit back and watch the disturbing things drift off, meaningless. Laugh, sway and marvel at your good luck.