Search - John Coltrane :: My Favorite Things

The Archetypal Coltrane.

Adam Scoville | Denver, CO USA | 12/03/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is John Coltrane's preeminent album. After finally leaving Miles' group for good, Trane's improvisation got progressively more frenetic, dissonant, and inspired. This combination sometimes makes his most brilliant and revolutionary recordings, like Giant Steps or A Love Supreme a bit challenging. My Favorite Things very clearly strikes a razor-thin balance between Trane's performance on Kind of Blue, and the later epics. Alternating between the tenor and soprano sax, Trane's best work is here, particularly on the title track (with McCoy Tyner laying out a supreme jazz waltz underneath), and on the aggressive, biting version of Summertime. If I find Trane's joint album with Johnny Hartman even more transcendent, that album is atypical for Coltrane; it gets its strength from Hartman, from an unusually subdued performance by Trane, and from their mutual synergy. My Favorite Things, on the other hand, is the archetypal Coltrane; the perfect way for initiates to wet their toes, and the backbone of a connoisseur's collection."

Rain down on me, ye sheets of sound, and cleanse me!

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 07/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Coltrane--the name conjures up one of the formative players in the hard-bop era, the long rapid-fire three notes on one chord line that blazed a path for jazz-yet-to-come. After my rock/jazz/blues class, Coltrane became the second name on my list of legendary jazz virtuosi to explore, the first of course being the incomparable Miles Davis.The four tracks on the original 1961 release are all covers of well known tunes by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Heyward and Gershwin, and both Gershwin brothers. The familiarity of these tunes was clearly geared to those hesitant to dip their toes into the post-bop jazz that was making its way felt following cool jazz, plus for those who may have been taken aback by his earlier effort Giant Steps. The title track should be familiar to Julie Andrews fans. It's best heard in its original 13:41 glory, where McCoy Tyner has a great piano solo with alternating chord changes and Coltrane's extended glorious downpour of quick sax notes, that three-on-one chord approach as described in the original liner notes, that draws the listener into the music.In fact, the two bonus tracks, labelled Part 1 and Part 2, are bite-sized single versions of the original, divided in half. Part 1 starts at the beginning, with Tyner's piano, with Coltrane coming in, while Part 2 starts with Coltrane starting out the melody instantly. I'd pick Part 2 as a sample for the uninitiated, but me, I'll take the complete version any day.The slower and melodic arrangement of Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye" is highlighted again by Coltrane's soprano sax and Tyner's piano. It's magical with the wistful ambience."Summertime" from Porgy And Bess is an upbeat jam with those sheets of sound pouring out like there's no tomorrow. I'm reminded of the original lyrics: "an de livin' is easy/fish are jumpin'." Well, there's nothing easy here, and the only thing jumpin' are those sax notes and Tyner's piano solo in the middle of this jam. That's followed by a solo by bassist Steve Davis. Face it, even a master like Coltrane be tuned out if there wasn't a pause, and Davis fulfills that here, as does drummer Elvin Jones. Coltrane finishes up the last minutes of this jam.The final jam is Gershwin's swinging "But Not For Me" highlighted in great part another winning and extended Tyner piano solo and Coltrane rounding out the last two minutes.This deluxe edition has a foldout with two sleeves. One has the CD-style booklet with commentary and a duplication of liner notes. The other sleeve has the actual CD in a miniature of the original LP, complete with liner notes on the back.The sleeve commentary by Nat Hentoff says that John Coltrane "spoke of self-purging through music--by which he could learn more and more about himself and thereby make himself and his music part of the unity of all being. Accordingly, he considered music to be a healing art." That really makes him a true philosopher among musicians. It has applications to all of us regardless, self-purging and healing with whatever enlightens or fulfills us."

Coltrane's best. It is as fresh now as it ever was....

historyone | Republic of Texas, USA | 12/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A brilliant and exciting album that changed the face of the Jazz world. My Favorite Things is the gleaming Jewel in Coltrane's jazz crown. His take on the song "My favorite things" is Coltrane's signature. The whole recording is as fresh now as it was when it was recorded over 30 years ago. This is is Coltrane brilliantly communicating his musicianship with "color's of music" that is seldom accomplished by any musician let alone a jazz musician. ALL of the songs on this recording are vibrant and complex, simple yet have depth...A MUST have for all Jazz enthusiasts."