Black Pearls [ENHANCED]

John Coltrane

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Original Release Date: January 10, 1958
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000YJM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #181,648 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, September 23, 2001

By A Customer

This album was recorded at the height of Trane's "sheets of sound" period. The opener, Black Pearls, starts off as a fairly typical hard bop tune in a standard A A B A form. However, shortly after Trane starts his solo his genius becomes apparent. Trane's solo is a miracle of light and sound. He furiously attacks the tune with an unbelievable ferocity. He spins long lines that are rhythmically and harmonically incredible. I can only imagine Byrd and Garland trying to follow him, slack-jawed in amazement.
After Trane, Byrd collects himself and actually turns in a nice solo that contrasts nicely with Trane's fire-breathing one. His lines are laid back but sufficiently exploratory.
Lover Come back to Me is a fast tempoed tune that is ok and Sweet Saphire Blues features Garland on an extended solo turn. Overall though, Trane's transcendent performance on "Pearls" alone is worth the price of the cd.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sapphire Sweet, September 14, 2000

By	"wednightprayermeeting" (Bellview, CA) - See all my reviews

Many of Trane's Prestige recordings don't vary so much stylistically. All are great and different, but Trane's sheets of sound method boast upon much of his soloing during this period.

There are two elements that set this disc apart from the rest. One, a diffent, more funky, almost Latin percussion sound that sweeps the tempo along nicely.

Two, the trumpeter Donald Byrd, who adds a nice element of a more subdued exhuberance. On his solos, he seems to be competing with the ever penetrating sheets of sound style that Coltrane was using. And he keeps up.

"Sweet Sapphire Blues" is one of my favorite Trane numbers of this period.

Masterful.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No originals, just 'Trane, June 8, 2007

By	William E Donoghue "Fessor Mojo" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The irony of the Prestige John Coltrane albums (about 19 in all; I owned them all when they first came out) is that there are no originals. I am told (I think by Ira Gitler) the reason is that Prestige owned all the publishing; so, he saved the originals (he certainly had them in volume) for his later Atlantic recordings. In any case, the music was marvelous; don't overlook the ones released under Red Garland's name. We are lucky that this music was recorded and saved in such a short time allowing consistency. It's still timeless.