John Coltrane - Coltrane Plays The Blues (1962)

I realize the cool and hip Coltrane album to praise is A Love Supreme, but since I'm neither cool nor hip, I think I'll go out on a limb and claim this gem as my favorite Coltrane release. Recorded in its entirety on October 24, 1960, this album presents songs that don't always have a traditional blues structure (some are more modal than blues), but they all have a definite bluesy feel to them. And it all swings, thanks to the a great rhythm section including drummer Elvin Jones (yes, you read that right. I just complimented a drummer). These were recorded for Atlantic during the same sessions as My Favorite Things, but weren't released until two years later, when Coltrane had moved on to the Impulse! label. Since these cuts were already in the Atlantic vault, they released them without either Coltrane's input or approval. I don't know if Coltrane was upset at this, but I'm certainly not.

Coltrane - soprano and tenor saxophone
McCoy Tyner - piano
Steve Davis - bass
Elvin Jones - drums

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "One of Coltrane's most provocative albums to date"
• Stereo Review: "particularly absorbing"
• DownBeat: ★★★½
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★

Tracks:  I'll gladly listen to them all without complaint.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  This CD has received steady play over the last 10-15 years, but was on very heavy rotation about 3 years ago, when I went through a heavy blues phase.