(Program note: My random selection tried to repeat the Allman Brothers Band's first album, so I gave the randomizer another spin.)
When we last left Coltrane, he was doing his time in the Thelonius Monk Quartet. Since then he rejoined Miles Davis long enough to record a mildly successful album (!) and launched his solo career in earnest. There are probably four "essential" Coltrane solo albums: Blue Train, Giant Steps, A Love Supreme and this one. Of the four, this is the one where Trane takes on the standards.
His take on the title track is legendary, and he's man enough to tackle it with a soprano sax. All I could think about is how if somebody asked me how the song went, I would probably just hum the part that Trane plays with for about eleven minutes. Yet it never gets boring or repetitive, which is the real magic behind the song. The other songs are pleasant enough, though through Coltrane's increasing frantic interpretations, less recognizable than other version.
And with that, let the weekend begin!
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