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Volume 70, Issue 92,
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Life & Arts Coltrane's essence rides on 'Blue Train' Jazz legend explores blues with own voice for a music necessity Blake Whitaker
If there were a musical sainthood, John Coltrane would be first in line for canonization. He approached his art with a scholar's devotion and an unwavering desire to innovate, and the goal was not material success, but enlightenment. Coltrane's saxophone was an extension of his soul, until even his instrument became an obstacle to expressing the impossibly complex music he heard in his mind. Throughout his career, Coltrane explored many styles of jazz, but his unique voice, which made him one of the genre's most imitated musicians, was always present. His playing was urgent, visceral and unfettered in its ferocity, but thanks to a rigorous practice regimen, technically unequalled in any genre. Even casual fans can immediately recognize Coltrane's sweeping runs and heavy tone.
John Coltrane, right, immersed himself in jazz and emerged as an innovator whose influence would forever change the music. His album Blue Train is a glowing representation of how his voice was clear no matter the style he was exploring. Photo courtesy JOWCOL Music Coltrane cut his teeth with the Miles Davis quintet in the mid-1950s before setting to lead his own groups. (Davis once commented that you could put a naked woman in front of Coltrane while he was playing, and he wouldn't skip a beat.) His stylistic journey was relatively short, but intense -- his later albums were distinctly esoteric affairs, decried by purists as "anti-jazz." During this period, he worked within the parameters of free jazz that fellow saxophonist Ornette Coleman helped define, improvising with no set chord progression to guide him. Although Coltrane kicked heroin in 1957, devoting himself to a spiritual life in the process, years of addiction no doubt contributed to his death from liver cancer a decade later at the age of 40. Those interested in exploring Coltrane's discography will be faced with a wealth of studio and live material. Later albums may be a bit inaccessible for the uninitiated; a better starting point would be middle-period Coltrane. One album in particular features a familiar sound channeled through Coltrane's voice -- the blues-based 1957 album Blue Train. Blue Train may not be as philosophical as his later work, but Coltrane's interpretation of the blues is as accomplished and moving as any in the jazz idiom. His playing is complimented perfectly by his sidemen, most notably the swaggering, brassy young trumpeter Lee Morgan. On the album, Coltrane takes an often formulaic genre and makes it his own. The titular first track is a ghostly, uptempo piece that demonstrates both Coltrane's and Morgan's ability to run circles around established structures. Coltrane cuts and Morgan soars with a sense of musicianship and soul that speaks to experts and the musically uneducated alike. Trombonist Curtis Fuller and pianist Kenny Drew help propel the piece. "Moment's Notice" is unusually chipper for Coltrane, but fits well with the rest of the album. One highlight is a bowed solo by bassist Paul Chambers, also a former sideman of Davis. "Locomotion" begins with a driving intro by accomplished drummer "Phillie" Joe Jones; the energy holds on what is the hardest song on the album. "I'm Old Fashioned," the only piece on the album Coltrane didn't compose himself, is a lilting, sultry blues placed in the middle of the rotation for a change of pace. The inclusion of the track reveals the ensemble's ability to express a wide range of color. "Lazy Bird" finishes off the album, with Chambers' bow making a reappearance and Jones' tight, expressive drumming pushing the piece all the way to Coltrane's final solo. Blue Train flows seamlessly enough to be regarded as pleasant, unlike some of Coltrane's more challenging works. Nevertheless, all the trademark Trane characteristics are there, and serious fans of music could do worse in finding a starting point from which to discover one of the most heralded and masterful musicians of the 20th century. John Coltrane Blue Train Blue Note Records Verdict: One of many Coltrane essentials. Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu |
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