Coltrane in 1957... some oddities...

Coltrane ... some rarish material from 1957. The session with Ray Draper was under the aegis of the tuba player – who was only 17 when he cut this. I think he acquits himself well but the the tuba did not really emerge at the time as a definitive front-line instrument. Spanky De Brest suddenly and amusingly (I love that name!) turns up again – I seem to have summoned his presence every time I check sideman details recently.

The session with Quinichette is a relaxed blow with a second line tenor man who was regarded as a kind of Lester Young tribute artist – Pres himself dubbed him (rather unkindly maybe but with Lester one never knows do one?) 'Lady Q' ?... But the 'Vice Pres' holds his game up here against the mercurial Trane. Who, as ever, plays well on both – the long tumbling lines marking his expanding personal space in the transitional area of post-Bird Fifties bop/modern jazz. With Quinichette especially, he seems, happy, relaxed, enjoying himself. There is a nice lightness to these two tracks.

1957 was a busy and seminal year for Coltrane – the famous spell with Thelonious Monk and recording in many different settings. These two oddities come from that time of transition, just before he returned to the Davis band in 1958 – to eventually travel onwards into the fire of the 'New Thing.'

These three are for Bruno...



John Coltrane and Ray Draper

Lineup: Ray Draper (tuba); John Coltrane (saxophone); Gil Coggins (piano): Spanky De Brest (bass); Larry Ritchie(drums).


Download

Filidia_mp3

Buy


John Coltrane and Paul Quinichette

Lineup:John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette (tenor saxophone); Mal Waldron (piano); Julian Euell (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).

Download


Sunday_mp3


Tea for Two_mp3


Buy