John Coltrane - Blue Train [Blue Note Essential, Blue Vinyl]

John Coltrane's tenor saxophone leads a six-piece ensemble on Blue Train, his only album as a leader for Blue Note. Lee Morgan's trumpet and Curtis Fuller's trombone add contrasting solo voices, supported by Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Recorded in Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack studio, the five selections balance blues-based themes with extended improvisation and a ballad drawn from the American songbook. This limited blue vinyl edition commemorates the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane's birth in 1926.

The title track begins with a blues theme voiced by all three horns before Coltrane, Morgan, and Fuller take individual solos. "Moment's Notice" moves at a faster tempo through a more intricate melody, with the rhythm section keeping the players in motion. "Locomotion" turns to a lively blues and prominent drum accents from Philly Joe Jones. On "I'm Old Fashioned," Coltrane interprets the Jerome Kern standard at a slower pace, while "Lazy Bird" closes with a quick theme and another sequence of improvisations.

The sextet recorded these five performances on September 15, 1957, with Alfred Lion producing and Rudy Van Gelder engineering. Coltrane composed four of the selections; "I'm Old Fashioned" is the sole standard. Issued in celebration of Coltrane's centennial, this limited Blue Note Essential Vinyl Series edition is pressed on 140g blue vinyl and mastered from high-resolution digital sources.

• Format: Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: Blue Train, Moment's Notice, Locomotion, Lazy Bird
• Pressing details: Blue Note Essential Vinyl Series, Limited Edition, 140g Blue Vinyl, High-Resolution Digital Mastering, John Coltrane Centennial Release
• Genre/style: Hard Bop, Bebop
• UPC: 199957966931

Coltrane's writing gives Morgan and Fuller substantial solo space on "Blue Train" and "Moment's Notice." The slower "I'm Old Fashioned" highlights his ballad playing, while "Lazy Bird" brings the six musicians together around a fast-moving final theme.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Blue Train
2. Moment's Notice

Side B:

1. Locomotion
2. I'm Old Fashioned
3. Lazy Bird