Soul Stream Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 (edited) Just a heads up since a lot of folks will probably be taking a holiday this weekend. I've been listening to Trane's "Giant Steps" quite a bit lately, so this one was a no brainer for me. Hope to have a good discussion on this one. Edited June 30, 2005 by Soul Stream Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 This brings up images of my dorm room in 1962. Quote
Big Al Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 Strangely enough, out of all of Trane's Atlantic repertoire, this gets the least play. Perhaps changing that is in order..... Quote
jlhoots Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 A classic for me. Great cover photo too. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 Wait a minute; I think I've got this one... Quote
Soul Stream Posted June 30, 2005 Author Report Posted June 30, 2005 A classic for me. Great cover photo too. ← Yeah, that's just one of the greatest shots of Coltrane ever! Quote
clifford_thornton Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 Yeah, I love Lee Friedlander's photos too. Though Trane himself apparently preferred Bob Thiele's shot on the cover of ALS (at least, IIRC Thiele took it). Haven't listened to "Giant Steps" in years, so I will have to jam it this weekend and come back with something either intelligent or trollish to say. Quote
Alfred Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 Hmmmm, Giant step is only a little hopper IMHO. From his ATLANTIC period I like Coltrane's sound best. Quote
Soul Stream Posted June 30, 2005 Author Report Posted June 30, 2005 Hmmmm, Giant step is only a little hopper IMHO. From his ATLANTIC period I like Coltrane's sound best. ← I can't argue that you'd like Coltrane's Sound better. It's a real close call for anybody. However, don't think I'd call Giant Steps a "Little Hopper" by ANY stretch of the imagination! Quote
mikeweil Posted July 1, 2005 Report Posted July 1, 2005 I bought most of Trane's Atlantics in a cutout bin back in the early 1970's. I liked Giant Steps the most then, it sounded full and energetic, the bass and drums. Lee Friedlaender made some great cover shots for Atlantic - the David Newman in particular! Quote
JohnS Posted July 5, 2005 Report Posted July 5, 2005 Great album, but when I want to listen to Atlantic 'trane "Coltrane's Sound" is my first choice. Quote
Jazz Kat Posted July 5, 2005 Report Posted July 5, 2005 First Coltrane CD ever. Brings back memories. I used to love Syeeda's Song Flute so fuckin much. Oh wait, I still do!!! Quote
Guy Berger Posted July 5, 2005 Report Posted July 5, 2005 This was my first Coltrane CD as well. I was kind of disappointed at the time -- I was still making the transition from early fusion (Mahavishnu, In a Silent Way) to straightahead and something so bebop-oriented didn't sound that interesting to me. I got A Love Supreme shortly thereafter and that made a lot more sense. Anyway, I also like Coltrane's Sound the best out of the Atlantic albums, but this one is really good. It catches Trane at the tail end of the "Sheets of Sound" period and maybe looking ahead to the music of 1960 and 1961. The very distinctive SoS sound that appears all over his '58 playing is used more sparingly here. It's also, IMHO, the period in which Trane was starting to play and record "really great music" on a consistent basis. On Blue Train and the Prestige sides, he's still working mostly within established formats, here less so (or so it sounds to me). Three other thoughts: 1) Is the opening of "Countdown" the first saxophone-drum duet to appear on a jazz album? It's interesting to compare this one (w/Art Taylor) to "Vigil" (w/Elvin Jones) and "Mars" (w/Rashied Ali) -- three totally different drummers, and Trane at various stages stylistically. You can throw in the Newport '63 "Impressions" (w/Roy Haynes) as a bonus. 2) Interesting to compare Trane's playing here to that on Kind of Blue. 3) Two of the tunes on this album were mainstays of Trane's setlists. We have over a dozen live vesions of "Naima". Trane doesn't solo on the original, and let Dolphy do the soloing. I think the earliest recorded Trane improvisation on this tune is from '63 (or '62?). And then the final version, from the Village Vanguard in 1966. As far as "Mr. P.C.", there are many versions through 1963, including the 36-minute juggernaut from Stuttgart. There's one known live recording of "Cousin Mary", from 1963. Guy Quote
JSngry Posted July 5, 2005 Report Posted July 5, 2005 1) Is the opening of "Countdown" the first saxophone-drum duet to appear on a jazz album? No. You've got Sonny & Philly doing "Surrey", and before that, the Bird/Max break on "Koko". Probably some others that I'm not thinking of right now. And I believe that Bud Freeman & Ray McKinley did a whole duet 78 side back in the 1940s(?). Quote
Guy Berger Posted July 5, 2005 Report Posted July 5, 2005 1) Is the opening of "Countdown" the first saxophone-drum duet to appear on a jazz album? No. You've got Sonny & Philly doing "Surrey", and before that, the Bird/Max break on "Koko". Probably some others that I'm not thinking of right now. Yikes, I forgot "Koko". Guy Quote
Noj Posted July 5, 2005 Report Posted July 5, 2005 This was my first Coltrane, and among the first 5 jazz cds I ever bought. It still sounds great to me after years of listening. I love every track, particularly "Cousin Mary" and "Naima." Quote
Jazz Kat Posted July 5, 2005 Report Posted July 5, 2005 1) Is the opening of "Countdown" the first saxophone-drum duet to appear on a jazz album? No. You've got Sonny & Philly doing "Surrey", and before that, the Bird/Max break on "Koko". Probably some others that I'm not thinking of right now. Yikes, I forgot "Koko". Guy ← I hear George Washington and John Adams used to have nightly jam sessions in which this was done. Quote
Soul Stream Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Posted July 5, 2005 Been listening to the "Heavyweight Champion" Coltrane box set which has like 9 extra takes and false starts of Giant Steps. What's amazing is that each and EVERY take is totally different. Coltrane isn't relying on any one, two, or three different approaches to this harmonic maze. It's progression is so ingrained in him that he feels comfortable enough to try all sorts of different things here. It sounds like a bebop atom bomb. Of course by the time he gets to the final master take on the second session. The song is considerabley sped up since it's beginnings and Coltrane is just in total command. Interesting to hear the progession of this song in such a short span of time. Quote
Guy Berger Posted July 6, 2005 Report Posted July 6, 2005 (edited) What's amazing is that each and EVERY take is totally different. Coltrane isn't relying on any one, two, or three different approaches to this harmonic maze. It's progression is so ingrained in him that he feels comfortable enough to try all sorts of different things here. It sounds like a bebop atom bomb. :rsmile: Edited July 6, 2005 by Guy Berger Quote
Soul Stream Posted July 6, 2005 Author Report Posted July 6, 2005 (edited) ...and speaking of the Giant Steps chord progession. It's hard to understand why 26-2 was not included in the "Coltrane's Sound" LP. It's one of the best songs using this progession. The melody is much better than "Countdown," but it just goes to show what a wealth of material Trane and Atlantic had at this particular time. For 26-2 to not be released at the time is mind boggling to me because IT SWINGS LIKE A MOTHER!!!!! Edited July 6, 2005 by Soul Stream Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.