Blue Train

[sidewinder]

15th Sept 1957 - a truly landmark Blue Note session was recorded at Van Gelder's.

A good reason to raise a glass to 'Trane, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Paul Chambers, Kenny Drew, Philly Joe, RVG and Lion and Wolff.

[J.A.W.]

Hear, hear!

I'd put Lion and Wolff first, though, because they made this session possible - and so many other great dates, for that matter.

Edited September 15, 2007 by J.A.W.

[Dan Gould]

Shouldn't we also toast Bob Weinstock for allowing the recording to happen after Coltrane had first agreed to sign with Prestige and then also signed with BN?

It being fifty years old reminds me of what happened when I first heard this. I bought the album in 1988, liking the cover and not really knowing who the artists were. Completely blown away, before I flipped the album over to listen to it again, I scanned the back cover for a recording date. The only date I could find was 1985 (the date of this reissue), and so I thought to myself, well, this Coltrane dude must have a more recent release to check out.

[Steve Gray]

Sidewinder,

For some reason I think you listened to 'Jazz Record Requests' this afternoon!

[Swinging Swede]

You guys are all wrong. It was Orrin Keepnews who recorded Trane with Monk, an affiliation that was crucial in Coltrane's development leading up to this session. So the one to really thank is Orrin Keepnews!

[sidewinder]

  Steve Gray said:

Sidewinder,

For some reason I think you listened to 'Jazz Record Requests' this afternoon!

My secret is out !

[Indestructible!]

  sidewinder said:

15th Sept 1957 - a truly landmark Blue Note session was recorded at Van Gelder's.

A good reason to raise a glass to 'Trane, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Paul Chambers, Kenny Drew, Philly Joe, RVG and Lion and Wolff.

Just finished listening to this... still blows me away every time! Bless you, Mr. Coltrane!

50 years old, huh? Wonder which Spanish label will be releasing this today... I'm surprised Gambit/Lonehill/Fresh Sounds/Nanker Phelge/whoever hasn't already come out with this in some super deluxe packaging! Guess I'll check the stores tomorrow...

Cheers,

Shane

[Chuck Nessa]

The date was 6 years old when I bought my first copy - with a gold "stereo" sticker on the front.

[alocispepraluger102]

bought it a long time ago when it was new, and it has never left my favorite vinyl stack.

[Alexander]

This is one of those albums that I was aware of for several years before I ever heard it. The cover was one of the very popular posters being sold at my college in the late '80s and early '90s. I don't know if the people who bought it actually OWNED the record, but I used the see the poster in dorm rooms all the time. When I started getting into jazz, I actually avoided this album because of association with collegiate knuckle-heads (I also had picked up some sort of anti-Blue Note bias from one of the jazz books I was reading at the time (don't remember the title) which disliked the "rehearsed" sound of the Blue Note albums). Fortunately, I got over this and decided to check it out (I've owned four different copies of "Blue Train" over the years: My first was a casette tape (!) purchased at Planet Records when it was located in Kenmore Square in Boston, the second was the standard late-80s CD, then the so-called "Ultimate Blue Train" (which I still own) and a wonderful vinyl copy purchased at Last Vestage Vinyl in Albany, NY). Ever since I first heard it, it's been a favorite of mine. A classic through and through. I believe this was the first place I ever heard Lee Morgan!

[sidewinder]

Its always been something of a favourite. First vinyl copy was in the late 70s with a UA/Transatlantic UK issue, then the early CD version in the late 80s. Picked up an original BN US deepgroove vinyl some years ago.

One of Francis Wolff's photos of the session hangs framed in my lounge - with the 3 front-line horns.

Edited September 16, 2007 by sidewinder

[Free For All]

  Alexander said:

The cover was one of the very popular posters being sold at my college in the late '80s and early '90s.

I had a version of that poster that had the players' names listed, including "Paul Chambers-base".

[vibes]

  Free For All said:

  Alexander said:

The cover was one of the very popular posters being sold at my college in the late '80s and early '90s.

I had a version of that poster that had the players' names listed, including "Paul Chambers-base".

Same here, but incorrect spelling bothers me so much that I didn't keep it up very long.

I just ordered the Classic Records HDAD version of this album, and I think that will be the fourth version of this album for me. I hear it's the best digital version available, and I bought it primarily to listen to in the car (I have a DVD-A player in my car), so I'm really looking forward to it.

[Stereojack]

  Chuck Nessa said:

The date was 6 years old when I bought my first copy - with a gold "stereo" sticker on the front.

I first bought it around 1964 - mine had the gold "stereo" sticker as well. Later replaced it with the Mobile Fidelity gold CD, and currently have the Ultimate with the bonus tracks.

[MoGrubb]

I can't believe that I still don't have this recording. tsk If I were Catholic I'd go to confession, then give away all my life savings to various charities, then flog myself. I feel so ashamed. Who do I apologize to?

Anyhow, I'm buying it today.

[JSngry]

My strongest memory of this side is a odd one of sorts.

It's 1978 or so, on a Thursday night, & as usual I'm in The Recovery Room to listen (and sit in with) Marchel Ivery's group w/Thomas Reese on piano, Charles Scott on bass, & Walter Winn on drums. Now. Walter was by any definnition a "colorful" character as well as one helluva drummer (when he wanted to be...).

So anyway, it's the break between the 2nd & 3rd sets, and Walter's been next door at the strip club (or something) & he comes back inside while Lee's solo on the title tune is playing on the jukebox. As usual, he's a bundle of beautifully slightly manic energy. On his way back to the men's room, he stops dead in his tracks when Lee makes those two downward octave eighth notes, sings them right in my face, and then keeps on walking. Just out of nowhere, this cat stops time and goes "dee-daht". And then it was over.

Maybe you had to be there, and it's a story that is definitely better demonstrated than writen about, but that's the very first thing I think of in conjuction with Blue Train.

[trane_fanatic]

You guys may find this odd considering my username, but I've always found this album to be very ehh at times. Not bad, but not the perennial classic it's held up to be either.

[GARussell]

Thanks for starting this thread, sidewinder! I put it on last night and listened to it for the first time in many months.

I share fanatic's lack of enthusiasm for this. I don't dislike it by any means. But I just feel that it is overrated compared to most of the Coltrane discs I have heard. I feel the same way about A Love Supreme.

Listening now to Disc 2 of the Classic Impulse! Quartet box, and I like it much more than Blue Trane. Oh well, to each his own.

[MoGrubb]

  GARussell said:

Thanks for starting this thread, sidewinder! I put it on last night and listened to it for the first time in many months.

I share fanatic's lack of enthusiasm for this. I don't dislike it by any means. But I just feel that it is overrated compared to most of the Coltrane discs I have heard. I feel the same way about A Love Supreme.

Listening now to Disc 2 of the Classic Impulse! Quartet box, and I like it much more than Blue Trane. Oh well, to each his own.

Just curious, if you've heard it, how do you feel about Trane's solo on Green Dolphin Street in Mile's group with Cannonball?

[Alexander]

  GARussell said:

Thanks for starting this thread, sidewinder! I put it on last night and listened to it for the first time in many months.

I share fanatic's lack of enthusiasm for this. I don't dislike it by any means. But I just feel that it is overrated compared to most of the Coltrane discs I have heard. I feel the same way about A Love Supreme.

Listening now to Disc 2 of the Classic Impulse! Quartet box, and I like it much more than Blue Trane. Oh well, to each his own.

I can understand someone having mixed feelings about "Blue Train." It's a very high-end hard bop date, and if that doesn't really set you on fire, you might well wonder what all the fuss is about. But "A Love Supreme" is another matter entirely. It's probably the most ECSTATIC piece of music I've ever heard. Not for nothing is it my number one pick of music I'd like to be listening to when I die (just not on the car stereo, please).

Edited September 17, 2007 by Alexander

[GARussell]

  MoGrubb said:

Just curious, if you've heard it, how do you feel about Trane's solo on Green Dolphin Street in Mile's group with Cannonball?

Mo, I haven't heard that one yet. I have the Miles/Coltrane box, but haven't gotten to that disc yet. Do you like it?

[MoGrubb]

  GARussell said:

  MoGrubb said:

Just curious, if you've heard it, how do you feel about Trane's solo on Green Dolphin Street in Mile's group with Cannonball?

Mo, I haven't heard that one yet. I have the Miles/Coltrane box, but haven't gotten to that disc yet. Do you like it?

Absolutely!! The whole cut, the whole album(BASIC MILES, on vinyl), Trane really shines on Green Dolphin St.; it still blows me away after all these years. This recording is what got me into Trane.

The only "reason" for asking was I was wondering if you didn't think Blue Train was particularly outstanding, if you thought Green Dolphin St. was. No biggie, just curiosity.

Edited September 18, 2007 by MoGrubb

[Free For All]

  MoGrubb said:

  GARussell said:

  MoGrubb said:

Just curious, if you've heard it, how do you feel about Trane's solo on Green Dolphin Street in Mile's group with Cannonball?

Mo, I haven't heard that one yet. I have the Miles/Coltrane box, but haven't gotten to that disc yet. Do you like it?

Absolutely!! The whole cut, the whole album(BASIC MILES, on vinyl), Trane really shines on Green Dolphin St.; it still blows me away after all these years. This recording is what got me into Trane.

The only "reason" for asking was I was wondering if you didn't think Blue Train was particularly outstanding, if you thought Green Dolphin St. was. No biggie, just curiosity.

That 5/26/58 session also produced great versions of Stella by Starlight, Fran Dance (2 takes) and Love For Sale. All stone classics! I've often mentioned that one of my favorite moments on record is the second chorus on Stella where Trane takes over and the rhythm section starts walking. Still gives me chills.