Coltrane Plays The Blues - John Coltrane

Jun

13

Coltrane Plays The Blues - John Coltrane

≡ Category: 1960s, Essential, Post Bop, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING

Rating:

You might think a release consisting of almost nothing but variations on the blues could get a little monotonous, but in the case of Coltrane Plays The Blues, it’s the opposite.

Coltrane finds a variety of ways to play the blues: major blues, minor blues, differences in tempo, instrumentation, and rhythmic approach. Each of the tunes ends up being as individual as a thumbprint.

And then there’s Coltrane’s feeling. It’s hard to describe why Coltrane plays with such intensity of blues feel — it just is. Most of the time, his lines are deceptively simple, but endlessly inventive. You won’t catch Coltrane repeating an idea and they all come out perfectly formed.

On Coltrane Plays The Blues, his band is definitively in a supporting mode. McCoy Tyner wasn’t yet the monster he would become. He mostly confines himself to mantra-like comps. Oddly enough bassist Steve Davis emerges as the main keeper of rhythm. It’s Davis that ends up playing the rhythmic patterns that differentiate these tunes from one another. Elvin Jones’ role on drums is a little harder to define. He provides a wonderful swing, no matter what the rhythm or tempo. It’s hard to say how he does this. It’s kind of magical.

What kills me about Coltrane Plays The Blues is how effortless and natural it is. The music is saturated in the blues. The tunes all work as songs, somehow. Coltrane’s improvisations are sustained and brilliant.

Basically, it’s perfect, impossible to improve on. This is one of those CDs that should be in everyone’s library.