Favorite John Coltrane era on record?

[ghost of miles]

Inspired by a couple of listener requests today for my afternoon show.  "Other" can represent either pre-1956, or a different configuration of Coltrane's career on record that isn't included in the list of choices that I compiled.

[Eric]

Close call between Impulse years 1 & 2, but I ultimately chose 2.  It has very little to do with the sidemen of that era, rather it is the intensity and urgency of Trane's playing.  The ideas and the ability to execute on them, although I have no idea what he is doing in a technical sense.  Among my favorite jazz ever recorded.

[Rabshakeh]

I'm going for "Other" for the last three records, particularly Interstellar Space. That music seems to me to be completely different to what Coltrane was playing on records like Meditations. 

Otherwise, I'd go for Atlantic.

[Guy Berger]

My preference increases chronologically.  I love the post-1964 stuff the best, the early Impulse stuff 2nd best, and the Atlantic stuff 3rd best.  I *enjoy* the pre-1959 stuff but I wouldn't say I *love* all of it outside of the stuff w/Miles and some sideman appearances (Monk, Dameron).  In a finite lifetime, would be fine never hearing the pre-Giant Steps Coltrane-led albums again.

5 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

I'm going for "Other" for the last three records, particularly Interstellar Space. That music seems to me to be completely different to what Coltrane was playing on records like Meditations. 

Otherwise, I'd go for Atlantic.

I agree they sound quite different than the 1965 music.  Not sure which I prefer, Interstellar Space, Stellar Regions, and Sun Ship are among my favorite Coltrane, so lumping it all together is very convenient

[mjzee]

While I was chronologically exposed to Coltrane's music from latest (Impulse 2) to earliest (Prestige), I've come to enjoy the Prestige material the most, probably because it's the most enjoyable.  As Coltrane's career progressed, he got more serious and, to my mind, more intent on making "statements."  The classic quartet was great, but it could've used more variety, especially with additional musicians who were not followers of Coltrane.  The Prestige recordings (and those made concurrently: Blue Note, the other leader dates, the other sideman dates) have it all: a nice variety of tunes (originals, standards, blues), tuneful tunes (lotsa changes and melodies), Coltrane's sound heard among a succession of solos from other artists, and the ability to hear him within the context of other musicians of the period.  

[John L]

It would be a very hard choice between the two Impulse! sub-periods.  Good thing that we don't have to choose.  

I actually prefer the earlier Coltrane to the Atlantic period (if we are to exclude the 1960 Europe recordings with Miles that are very close to my heart).   The Atlantic recordings were arguably a more important period for Coltrane's development.  But the music feels transitional to me, not as fully realized as either what came earlier and what came later.   Of course, Giant Steps was arguably fully realized, but also a sort of fascinating dead end.  

[Rooster_Ties]

Despite my deep love of Billy Harper, Tyrone Washington, Ornette, plenty of Sun Ra’s cadre of sax players (though admittedly not the absolute most ‘out’ of his free stuff), Gary Thomas, etc…

I quite sheepishly have to admit that it’s Trane’s sheets-of-sound playing on Prestige that I’ve connected with the most.  There are aspects — especially their ‘jam’-iness — of many of those recordings that leave a fair bit to be desired.  But Trane’s playing — soloing — on those Prestige recordings is really lovely, and definitely moves me (or much of it does).

And I have to confess that in all these years, I have yet to connect super-deeply even with Trane’s Atlantic(!) years — let alone either Impulse era.

I know, I know… there’s absolutely no logic to this, given the number of other ‘challenging’ jazz sax players I do like and even love — but it is what it is.

If it’s any indication, it was only a few months(!) ago that I *FINALLY* broke down and bought my first ever physical copy of A Love Supreme (the 2CD edition with the live version, and a few studio alternates).  I listened to it about 4 times (and the live version twice) — all inside of two weeks time.

And while I certainly ‘liked’ it (the studio version more than the live one) — I also didn’t quite “love” it.

It was certainly interesting, and largely enjoyable — but I’m nowhere as moved by ALS as I certainly ought to be.  And nobody is more shocked by this than I am. 

I like Giant Steps (the album) better, but even that only hits about a 7/10 for me.  I hesitate to say ALS is a 6/10 album — but 6/10 does probably accurately reflect my ‘excitement’ level, or degree of emotional connection I had with it.

I do have nothing but the highest respect for all of Trane’s output, Impulse years included.  I just haven’t connected with much or any of it yet.

[felser]

I'm thankful for all of them, and it's hard to choose a "favorite", but I came down on the early Impulse's, which had higher highs to me than the other eras.  But I quite actively and enjoyably listen to all of the eras.

[JSngry]

I like them all. A more germane question might which period of his do you most (or least) like to hear other people imitate? 

 

[Rabshakeh]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

I like them all. A more germane question might which period of his do you most (or least) like to hear other people imitate? 

There are a few Coltrane imitators out there who really get it, but mostly it's just throwing a spoiler on a Subaru and calling it a race car.

It would be quite fun assigning the followers to the different periods, though. 

Overall, I am surprised by the lack of love for the Atlantics upthread. What the Atlantic period really has going is its consistency. Coltrane's 2.5 Impulse! eras are marred by some of his weaker records at least to my dumb ears, even if none of them is lacking a spark. 

[Daniel A]

I voted for Atlantic, given that also the 1960 live recordings with Miles are included (1959-1961).

I have still not "understood" the last 1.5 Impulse periods. I hope to do some day.

[bertrand]

This was not one of the choices, but my favorite era is 1965, after Love Supreme and up to the quartet's last date.

[kh1958]

For me, 1957-1965.

[Teasing the Korean]

I had to choose "other," because the classic quartet with McCoy Tyner spans three of the choices.  

[Rabshakeh]

The options really show how starkly short Coltrane's career was.

[Ken Dryden]

I prefer the early Impulse! era, particularly recordings that included Eric Dolphy. My least favorite period is the post-McCoy Tyner later years.

[clifford_thornton]

8 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

There are a few Coltrane imitators out there who really get it, but mostly it's just throwing a spoiler on a Subaru and calling it a race car.

😂

And yes, I too love all eras.

[Pim]

With Trane, I really like everything he has done. If I’d really had to make a choice I’d choose the Impulse! stuff all of it from Africa/Brass to Interstellar Space. 
 

Coltrane developed in so many ways so rapidly that you could divide his work into more eras. The Miles era, the Monk era, the Prestige sessions, the Atlantic stuff, the Vanguard/Africa/Brass stuff, from Crescent to Transition, Meditations via Ascension to Sun Ship, the Sextet live and his last recordings. Something like that. I really love every one of them but I like the more adventurous stuff most.

[colinmce]

19 hours ago, Eric said:

Close call between Impulse years 1 & 2, but I ultimately chose 2.  It has very little to do with the sidemen of that era, rather it is the intensity and urgency of Trane's playing.  The ideas and the ability to execute on them, although I have no idea what he is doing in a technical sense.  Among my favorite jazz ever recorded.

My answer as well, though I will go so far as to say it is my favorite jazz ever recorded. Luckily there is a great wealth of material available from just two years of work, I never tire of any of it.

[Eric]

11 minutes ago, colinmce said:

My answer as well, though I will go so far as to say it is my favorite jazz ever recorded. Luckily there is a great wealth of material available from just two years of work, I never tire of any of it.

Yes 💗 

So much good stuff.  Inspired by this thread, will listen to the Temple recording on the drive home.  Simply bracing, life-affirming music.

But I too, love all the eras.  A fav from the Atlantic years is Coltrane Plays the Blues.  Never tire of that one.  Coltrane's Sound too and Coltrane Jazz.  Well and First Meditations.  And Crescent. And Soultrane.  And Sun Ship. And, and, and!  What an amazingly deep well.

Maybe 30 years ago I thought the Impulse stuff was too out there, although I had never really listened to it.  Found a 3 CD Impulse comp around that time and was blown away by the later period material, although there were only a few selections.  What an amazing journey.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Eric

[John Tapscott]

15 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Despite my deep love of Billy Harper, Tyrone Washington, Ornette, plenty of Sun Ra’s cadre of sax players (though admittedly not the absolute most ‘out’ of his free stuff), Gary Thomas, etc…

I quite sheepishly have to admit that it’s Trane’s sheets-of-sound playing on Prestige that I’ve connected with the most.  There are aspects — especially their ‘jam’-iness — of many of those recordings that leave a fair bit to be desired.  But Trane’s playing — soloing — on those Prestige recordings is really lovely, and definitely moves me (or much of it does).

And I have to confess that in all these years, I have yet to connect super-deeply even with Trane’s Atlantic(!) years — let alone either Impulse era.

I know, I know… there’s absolutely no logic to this, given the number of other ‘challenging’ jazz sax players I do like and even love — but it is what it is.

If it’s any indication, it was only a few months(!) ago that I *FINALLY* broke down and bought my first ever physical copy of A Love Supreme (the 2CD edition with the live version, and a few studio alternates).  I listened to it about 4 times (and the live version twice) — all inside of two weeks time.

And while I certainly ‘liked’ it (the studio version more than the live one) — I also didn’t quite “love” it.

It was certainly interesting, and largely enjoyable — but I’m nowhere as moved by ALS as I certainly ought to be.  And nobody is more shocked by this than I am. 

I like Giant Steps (the album) better, but even that only hits about a 7/10 for me.  I hesitate to say ALS is a 6/10 album — but 6/10 does probably accurately reflect my ‘excitement’ level, or degree of emotional connection I had with it.

I do have nothing but the highest respect for all of Trane’s output, Impulse years included.  I just haven’t connected with much or any of it yet.

I can agree with much of that. I enjoy 'Trane's tenor sound more from the earlier period (Prestige and most of the Atlantic recordings).      

[JSngry]

My favorite YEAR would be 1965, including all the live things that are out there. But that's not an era, that's just one year and the apex/culmination of a band. 

My favorite RECORD would be Interstellar Space. But that's not an era, that's one day that ended up being a nearly-overwhelming culmination/summary of an entire lifetime.

But the guys been dead 50+ years now, it's all been one story, and we know not just how it ends, but how it got there pretty much every step of the way. For me, that overrides the notion of having just one "favorite" in the sense of "desert island". Can't have a favorite chapter in a great novel, can you? 

That's how I see it anyway. 

 

[Gheorghe]

I like all of Trane but finally chose the Impulse Era Part 2. Sure Trane was the first saxophone player I heard since my first LP was a 1956 Davis Quintet album, but shortly afterwards, also in my early teens I heard "Live at Village Vanguard Again", and this kind of music impressed me deeply. And when I started listening to jazz, Trane didn´t die too long ago. Maybe 5 years earlier, and the influence of late Trane in all the stuff that was going, was still very very deep. So, late Coltrane was just the spirit of the time and saught after mostly when I began to get really deep into music....

[Guy Berger]

On 9/7/2023 at 6:45 AM, Rabshakeh said:

The options really show how starkly short Coltrane's career was.

Well, that's the mindblowing thing.  He's not the only jazz artist to have 4+ distinct stylistic periods (though there aren't THAT many), but none of them squeezed that into just 12 years!!!

[Joe]

Push to shove, I'll take 1961 at the Village Vanguard. 

But my favorite Trane record might be COLTRANE'S SOUND, for largely sentimental reasons.