SwingJournal #5

Like Someone in Love: This track is selected for Starbucks' "Best of the Prestige Jazz" album. John Coltrane and the producer Bob Weinstock booked Red Garland as the pianist for this recording. However Garland didn't show up for the August, 1957 session. Therefore three of out two tunes are piano-less. After all was said and done, these parts of the album became some of the best the piano-less trio recordings, ranking among such projects as Sonny Rollins' "A Night at the Village Vanguard."

John Coltrane starts the first cut with the last 8 bars of the tune, played in rubato fashion . The bass and drums come in to support the melody when they hear the downbeat. Coltrane plays very laid back and Earl May's bass notes are so clear and clean as he lays down a steady quarter note beat. The reason why his bass tone sounds so clear is because there is no piano, and drummer Art Taylor uses brushes.

After the melody, Coltrane starts his solo as usual. Art Taylor doubles the time, however Earl May still keeps the steady quarter note beat which makes for a very unique groove. Toward the end of the first chorus, Coltrane camouflages the melody, and creates the ending cadenza. I noticed that many people in these day play this tune in Eb and F. However Coltrane plays this tune in the key of Ab. I also noticed that many hip musicians still play this tune in Ab. The best example is Kenny Barron.

I Love You
Audio File

Download Sheet Music for Coltrane's Diminished Scale Ideas on Intro

Solo Guitar Arrangement/Performance by Hideaki Tokunaga

Trane's Slow Blues: From the title, I was expecting this composition to be a very slow blues, but the tempo is medium slow. It opens with the bass player for one chorus. He keeps walking with a steady beat and the drummer was also clearly keeps the four quarter beat. This is a typical Trane medium tempo approach. The composition is in the key of Bb and it reminds me of Milt Jackson's Bag's Groove. Coltrane plays only one chorus of the melody and then starts playing his solo. May also takes a solo. After two choruses of bass solo, the drummer takes two choruses by himself. After all three finish their solos, the bass and drums break to welcome John Coltrane back to the ensemble and Coltrane extends for two more choruses. Coltrane comes in with a fantastic entrance when he returns to the ensemble as if he plays a whole new blues. For head out, he plays two choruses.

Lush Life: Red Garland who is responsible for this album being half a saxophone trio album starts with a thick, fat chord cadenza. John Coltrane enters quickly and plays the famous long verse as if it is an easy melody. Red Garland also accompanies Coltrane very freely, understanding the appropriate fermata spots. You can hear the whole notes the bass plays to support Red Garland's comping. As a counterpoint to the long verse, the main theme melody starts in tempo. As they play the verse freely with a layed back ballad feel, they play the theme melody as a walking ballad. The bassist switches from arco to pitchato.

Throughout melodies and solos, they play extended extra 2 bars. Now I wonder if these two bars might be the original. The melody had an effect on the walking ballad. In addition to that feel, Coltrane's first solo has a double time feel. The drummer's brush become wild and Coltrane finishes an outstanding improvisation. Red Garland takes the second solo. Some people make fun of him as a cocktail pianist. This Billy Strayhorn composition keeps changing its mode quite often especially by changing up a half step, then coming back down; however all of the soloists on this recording can smooth out all the running chord changes.

The solo order is Coltrane, Red Garland and Donald Byrd. I just don't know why Donald Byrd only shows up on this tune. The main form is AABA and Donald Byrd takes care the ending A sections. Coltrane takes care the B section and both Byrd and Coltrane finish together on the third A section.

I Hear A Rhapsody: If John Coltrane and the producer had an idea for this recording as a quartet recording, this track might be the only ideal piece. If you are an audio maniac, you would notice that the mixing changes from the other tracks -- especially in regard to Coltrane's tone. According to the recording dates, this is the first track they nailed down. Therefore I believe that the original drummer for this recording might have been Albert Tootie Heath who is the youngest one from Heath brothers. I wish I could have listened to this quartet longer.