i have to admit its difficult to review an album that takes forty minutes to explore only four songs,
yet never gets boring. there's only so many ways you can say "this is really, really, really, sublimly,
awesomely good." the best (if a little obvious) adjective to apply to this album is: patient. which if
you've listened to any coltrane know is a big departure for him. coming a year after 'Giant Steps' this
album is the true and rightful follow-up to that masterpiece, even though coltrane's discography makes
mention of his appearance on a Don Cherry album in the interim.
stylistically 'My Favorite Things' could not be any different from its predecessor unless it had been
made by a different artist. first and most obviously, trane is playing a soprano sax on the first two
tracks (as pictured on the album cover) as opposed to the ubiquitos tenor for which he is best known.
second is the fact that none of these tracks are original compositions. and third is the time trane
takes with each song. the just complete and utter immersement he indulges in with each track. its this
final aspect that makes the album so fascinating, and so easily revisted over, and over again.
on the opening and title track the soprano sax squeals and hops along the well worn melody, not always
in perfect tune, but in a way that comes off as relaxed instead of lazy. trane's first solo is as you
would expect it to be if you've heard any trane, that is: emotional and raw without sounding amatureish.
the difference is it doesn't sound rushed. trane had such a gifted feel for time and melody that he
could squeeze seemingly infinite runs of perfectly chosen notes into the most hurried of bars. but on
this album he plays fast without sounding like he's trying to play fast. he's much more patient with his
improvisation, without losing any of the visceral instinct and emotion that make his playing so
captivating. the result is this kind of blissful oblivion where you just fall into this epic fourteen
minute rendition of a classic song that you think you've heard too many times already. by the time trane
comes back in for his second solo, after the piano has played, its like he's there in the living room
with you, like he's playing just for you, and the normal constraints of what makes a saleable album mean
nothing because this is a live show, just for you, and the song can go on for fourteen, fifteen, twenty
minutes if trane wants it to, because he's not going to stop playing until he's said all he needs to
say. which is what improvisation is really all about.
the one issue i take with this rendition of 'my favorite things' is that they didn't seize the very
obvious opportunity there is with that song to slip into a minor key and make it really, really dark. in
2005 that's been done enough that its cliched and almost as hard to make interesting as the song itself.
but in 1960 no one had done it before. and i'm a little surprised trane didn't seize on this chance to
break new ground.
the second track is another surprise: a ballad where trane sounds like he actually gives a damn. here he
seems to have finally found the balance between speed and presence. his sound fills the studio much more
than on any of his ealier ballads, and i think this session was a major step forward for him.
track three is like track one version two. summertime. gershwin. for the love of god. how do you make
summertime any more interesting than billie holiday did? this is how. the tenor reappears here playing
the sped up, rough and tumble first chorus of the melody that is a little jarring after you see the
title of the song and expect a slow bluesy ballad. but what follows is the archetypal jam session. its
like you put a tape recorder in the room and just let the band do whatever the hell they wanted. and you
would think, "no big deal" but you have to remember back then they were recording for vinyl, which is a
very, very limiting format in terms of available time. trane lets loose with some crazy runs that sound
more like him. the best part comes when the rhythm section start getting into it. vibing off eachother
hard they get into an intense groove, and the piano player (the genius McCoy Tyner) just goes off the
deep end. he's rocking out so far out of key, and the drums and the bass are right there with him. its
just shy of the half way mark that you start to forget what you're listening to. then with about 4:00
left in this twelve minute madnes all thoughts of fucking gerswhin are completely gone.
don't get me wrong
gershwin was talented
and summertime is an amazingly enduring song
but gershwin wasn't fit to lick this band's boots
but i digress.
after the rhythm section finishes soloing, trane comes back in with something that i think is supposed
to approximate the original melody of the song. but its not. not really. he's hitting the key notes in
there, but surrounding them with his own version of events that absolutely cannot be disputed.
the last track is another gershwin song, and is much more faithful to the image of trane most people
have coming into this album. its very straight ahead, and his soloing maintains the patience of the rest
of the album, but reverts a little bit to some of the form over function insanity of giant steps. this
is a really good song. i was a little hard on gershwin. oh well. this track stands out a little bit, and
sounds almost like an apology to those fans who might have been a little taken aback by what they've
been listening to. almost like: "don't worry guys, its me, i'm still here."
aside from the sheer virtuosity of the performances, this album stands out as one of the first and still
best examples of jazz as a tool for genre bending. trane proved on this album that jazz it not just
jazz. it can be anything you want it to be with a little patience and creativity.
just wait till i start talking to you about brad meldhau and radiohead. or joshua redman and the beatles.
yet never gets boring. there's only so many ways you can say "this is really, really, really, sublimly,
awesomely good." the best (if a little obvious) adjective to apply to this album is: patient. which if
you've listened to any coltrane know is a big departure for him. coming a year after 'Giant Steps' this
album is the true and rightful follow-up to that masterpiece, even though coltrane's discography makes
mention of his appearance on a Don Cherry album in the interim.
stylistically 'My Favorite Things' could not be any different from its predecessor unless it had been
made by a different artist. first and most obviously, trane is playing a soprano sax on the first two
tracks (as pictured on the album cover) as opposed to the ubiquitos tenor for which he is best known.
second is the fact that none of these tracks are original compositions. and third is the time trane
takes with each song. the just complete and utter immersement he indulges in with each track. its this
final aspect that makes the album so fascinating, and so easily revisted over, and over again.
on the opening and title track the soprano sax squeals and hops along the well worn melody, not always
in perfect tune, but in a way that comes off as relaxed instead of lazy. trane's first solo is as you
would expect it to be if you've heard any trane, that is: emotional and raw without sounding amatureish.
the difference is it doesn't sound rushed. trane had such a gifted feel for time and melody that he
could squeeze seemingly infinite runs of perfectly chosen notes into the most hurried of bars. but on
this album he plays fast without sounding like he's trying to play fast. he's much more patient with his
improvisation, without losing any of the visceral instinct and emotion that make his playing so
captivating. the result is this kind of blissful oblivion where you just fall into this epic fourteen
minute rendition of a classic song that you think you've heard too many times already. by the time trane
comes back in for his second solo, after the piano has played, its like he's there in the living room
with you, like he's playing just for you, and the normal constraints of what makes a saleable album mean
nothing because this is a live show, just for you, and the song can go on for fourteen, fifteen, twenty
minutes if trane wants it to, because he's not going to stop playing until he's said all he needs to
say. which is what improvisation is really all about.
the one issue i take with this rendition of 'my favorite things' is that they didn't seize the very
obvious opportunity there is with that song to slip into a minor key and make it really, really dark. in
2005 that's been done enough that its cliched and almost as hard to make interesting as the song itself.
but in 1960 no one had done it before. and i'm a little surprised trane didn't seize on this chance to
break new ground.
the second track is another surprise: a ballad where trane sounds like he actually gives a damn. here he
seems to have finally found the balance between speed and presence. his sound fills the studio much more
than on any of his ealier ballads, and i think this session was a major step forward for him.
track three is like track one version two. summertime. gershwin. for the love of god. how do you make
summertime any more interesting than billie holiday did? this is how. the tenor reappears here playing
the sped up, rough and tumble first chorus of the melody that is a little jarring after you see the
title of the song and expect a slow bluesy ballad. but what follows is the archetypal jam session. its
like you put a tape recorder in the room and just let the band do whatever the hell they wanted. and you
would think, "no big deal" but you have to remember back then they were recording for vinyl, which is a
very, very limiting format in terms of available time. trane lets loose with some crazy runs that sound
more like him. the best part comes when the rhythm section start getting into it. vibing off eachother
hard they get into an intense groove, and the piano player (the genius McCoy Tyner) just goes off the
deep end. he's rocking out so far out of key, and the drums and the bass are right there with him. its
just shy of the half way mark that you start to forget what you're listening to. then with about 4:00
left in this twelve minute madnes all thoughts of fucking gerswhin are completely gone.
don't get me wrong
gershwin was talented
and summertime is an amazingly enduring song
but gershwin wasn't fit to lick this band's boots
but i digress.
after the rhythm section finishes soloing, trane comes back in with something that i think is supposed
to approximate the original melody of the song. but its not. not really. he's hitting the key notes in
there, but surrounding them with his own version of events that absolutely cannot be disputed.
the last track is another gershwin song, and is much more faithful to the image of trane most people
have coming into this album. its very straight ahead, and his soloing maintains the patience of the rest
of the album, but reverts a little bit to some of the form over function insanity of giant steps. this
is a really good song. i was a little hard on gershwin. oh well. this track stands out a little bit, and
sounds almost like an apology to those fans who might have been a little taken aback by what they've
been listening to. almost like: "don't worry guys, its me, i'm still here."
aside from the sheer virtuosity of the performances, this album stands out as one of the first and still
best examples of jazz as a tool for genre bending. trane proved on this album that jazz it not just
jazz. it can be anything you want it to be with a little patience and creativity.
just wait till i start talking to you about brad meldhau and radiohead. or joshua redman and the beatles.