On his first session as a bandleader, tenor saxophonist
John Coltrane is joined by
Johnny Splawn on trumpet,
Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, and a rhythm section of bassist
Paul Chambers and drummer
Albert "Tootie" Heath with piano duties split between
Mal Waldron and
Red Garland. Right out of the gate, the propulsive syncopated beat that drives through the heart of
Coltrane's fellow Philly denizen
Calvin Massey's "Bakai" indicates that
Coltrane and company are playing for keeps.
Shihab's emphatic and repetitive drone provides a manic urgency that fuels the participants as they weave in and out of the trance-like chorus.
Coltrane grabs hold with bright and aggressive lines, turning the minor-chord progressions around into a spirited and soulful outing. While the refined and elegant "Violets for Your Furs" as well as the slinky and surreptitious "While My Lady Sleeps" are undeniably ballads, they aren't redundant. Rather, each complements the other with somewhat alternate approaches. "Violets for Your Furs" develops the role of the more traditional pop standard, whereas the somnolence is disrupted by the tension and release coursing just below the surface of "While My Lady Sleeps." The
Coltrane-supplied "Straight Street" is replete with the angular progressions that would become his stock-in-trade. In fact, the short clusters of notes that
Coltrane unleashes are unmistakable beacons pointing toward his singular harmonics and impeccably timed phrasing on 1960's
Giant Steps and beyond. The closer, "Chronic Blues," demonstrates
Coltrane's increasing capacity for writing and arranging for an ensemble. The thick unified sound of
Coltrane,
Splawn, and
Shihab presents a formidable presence as they blow the minor-chord blues chorus together before dissolving into respective solos. The trio's divergent styles prominently rise, pitting
Shihab's down-and-dirty growl against
Coltrane's comparatively sweet tones and
Splawn's vacillating cool and fiery fingering. Regardless of the listener's expertise,
Coltrane is as enjoyable as it is thoroughly accessible. ~ Lindsay Planer