John Coltrane Quartet
1960 was a major turning point for John Coltrane (born September 23, 1926, died July 17, 1967). It was in 1960 that the big-toned saxophone giant left Miles Davis' employ for good, made modal jazz (as opposed to hard bop) his main focus, and formed a highly influential group of his own. That group was the New York-based John Coltrane Quartet, whose original lineup included Trane on tenor and soprano sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Steve Davis on bass. Davis didn't stay long; Coltrane went through a few more bassists (Art Davis and Reggie Workman) before hiring Jimmy Garrison in 1961. Like his former employer Miles Davis, Coltrane was a very restless musician who was determined to forge ahead -- and his 1960-1965 quartet did exactly that. In the 1950s, Coltrane's main focus had been hard bop -- "Giant Steps," recorded in 1959, is considered bop's ultimate blowing tune. But it was also in 1959 that Coltrane was prominently featured on Davis' influential modal classic Kind of Blue, and the saxman took the modal plunge in a major way when he became a full-time group leader in 1960. That year, Coltrane's new quartet recorded My Favorite Things, an Atlantic release that did as much to popularize modal playing as Kind of Blue. My Favorite Things' title track is considered a definitive example of modal post-bop, as are "Impressions," "Equinox," "Miles' Mode," and other gems that Coltrane's quartet unveiled in the early '60s. Coltrane, who moved from Atlantic to Impulse! in 1961, occasionally augmented his group; reedman Eric Dolphy, for example, was briefly on board in 1961. But for the most part, Coltrane favored a quartet format from 1960-1964 -- and that quartet was amazingly influential. In the early to mid-'60s, John Coltrane Quartet's modal explorations influenced everyone from saxophonists Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, and Jackie McLean to trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and organist Larry Young. It was in 1965 (the year after Coltrane's quartet recorded the spiritual A Love Supreme for Impulse!) that he opted for another change of direction. The saxman started to explore atonal free jazz -- a shift that signaled the end of his modal period as well as the end of the famous Coltrane/Tyner/Garrison/Jones lineup. But the quartet's influence never went away; anyone who has played modal jazz, past or present, owes a debt of gratitude to John Coltrane Quartet.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo
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The Complete Copenhagen Concert (Falkonercentret, Copenhagen, November 20, 1961)
Jazz - Released by MAGNETIC on 1 aug. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Once In a While
Wilbur Harden, John Coltrane Quartet
Pop - Released by FACT Records on 26 apr. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Coltrane Quartet - The Stockholm Concerts Vol 1 (Live)
Jazz - Released by Vantage Music on 29 sep. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You Say You Care / Russian Lullaby (Mono Version)
Jazz - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Coltrane Time (Mono Version)
Jazz - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1963
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
La Malglata Birdo en Mi
Pop - Released by Indestructible Records on 1 jul. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Impressions
John Coltrane Quartet, Eric Dolphy
Jazz - Released by Orange Leisure on 2 jan. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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I'm Old Fashioned
Pop - Released by Fantastic Plastic on 1 dec. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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John Coltrane
Bebop - Released by Jazz Essential on 27 okt. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Syeeda's Song Flute
John Coltrane Quartet, Michel Legrand
Pop - Released by Studio Jewels on 15 jan. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Coltrane in Stockholm, Vol 3 (Live)
Jazz - Released by Orange Leisure on 7 jan. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Just Passion
Jazz - Released by Music City Entertainment on 8 jun. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Coltrane Quartet Penn State '63 (Live)
Jazz - Released by HI_Q on 5 jan. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of John Coltrane Quartet
John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet
Jazz - Released by Montecarlo Jazz Recordings on 24 jul. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At The Half Note
Jazz - Released by Passport Audio on 1 jan. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At Helsinki (feat. Eric Dolphy)
Jazz - Released by Orange Leisure on 2 jan. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Coltrane in Stockholm, Vol 2 (Live)
Jazz - Released by Orange Leisure on 7 jan. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Coltrane Quartet's Stockholm Concerts Vol 1 (Live)
Jazz - Released by Vantage Music on 14 okt. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blue Trane (Live)
Jazz - Released by Marylebone Records on 24 jan. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo