The year 1958 was a pivotal one for saxophonist John Coltrane. He was nearing the end of his historic relationship with trumpeter Miles Davis, which had catapulted him from session player to bona fide star. Davis, in turn, was nearing the end of his relationship with Prestige Records, which had recently signed Coltrane to his own recording contract. The two jazz stars had collided, sparks flew, and a newly enlightened Coltrane went on to create a set of 37 fiery tracks at producer Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack, N.J., studio. Those tracks have been compiled by Craft Recordings and will be released on eight vinyl LPs, five CDs and digital media.
Early Coltrane blends with an emerging artist he was becoming on these tracks, which run from ballads to bebop to Broadway. The players include guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Red Garland, trumpeters Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard and Wilbur Harden, bassist Paul Chambers and drummers Art Taylor, Jimmy Cobb and Louis Hayes. The clarity of the remastered 60-yar-old recordings is remarkable. Coltrane ’58 captures one of the most important years in the performance life of perhaps the most important jazz sax player ever to blow. No collection is complete without Coltrane’s Prestige recordings.
