Product Info
By 1959 John Coltrane had recorded many sessions as a sideman for Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Burrell, and Tadd Dameron, among others. He had also taped quartet albums, some of which were issued under the name of pianist Red Garland, while others appeared under Trane’s name. Then came the Atlantic period, and with it the LP Giant Steps, which was the confirmation of Coltrane’s importance in the jazz scene. There, for the first time, all of the tunes were his, and his personal style seemed completely developed.
This LP, which originally appeared on Japan, presents a selection of Coltrane’s best sides for Atlantic. Among them are the wonderful “Giant Steps”, and even a reading of ‘The Night Has a Thousand Eyes’, a song which is given here unique and distinctive voices. “My Favorite Things”, which became one of Coltrane’s bestselling tracks ever, belongs to Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II’s play The Sound of Music. The original stage production of The Sound of Music opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontane Theatre on November 16, 1959. Prior to Coltrane’s reading it had already been recorded in a jazz setting by Benny Goodman. Goodman’s tentet album of the score from the Broadway musical would be recorded merely four days after the play’s stage debut on November 20. Although nearly all of the show’s compositions became popular tunes, “My Favorite Things” would also become a jazz standard. Goodman’s recording was the first known jazz version of the tune, which would be interpreted later by many other jazzmen. However, its popularity in the jazz world can hardly be attributed to Benny Goodman, who wouldn’t record the song again after making his album. It was John Coltrane who brought the song to the attention of the jazz world with the reading contained here, recorded on October 21, 1960.
Tracklist
SIDE A:
1 THE NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (Buddy Bernier-Jerry Brainin) 6:50
2 BAGS AND TRANE (Milt Jackson) 7:26
3 SYEEDA’S SONG FLUTE (John Coltrane) 7:06
4 I’LL WAIT AND PRAY (Jerry Valentine-George Treadwell) 3:32*
SIDE B:
1 MY FAVORITE THINGS (Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein II) 13:44
2 HARMONIQUE (John Coltrane) 4:10
3 GIANT STEPS (John Coltrane) 4:47
*BONUS TRACK: From the same sessions. Not on the original LP.