John Coltrane - Trane Meets the Tenors (4CD)

During 1956 and 1957 the new star tenor with the controversial Miles Davis Quintet, John Coltrane, racked up an impressive number of sideman appearances on sessions recorded at the legendary Van Gelder studios in New Jersey, taking his place in the rotating stock-company of players favoured by the Prestige and Blue Note labels. Released under various leaders' names, and often derided by critics as mere "blowing sessions", the albums resulting from these dates included several in which Coltrane went toe-to-toe with other tenor saxophonists, some older and better established - including on one memorable occasion none other than the father of jazz tenor himself, Coleman Hawkins - to those occupying roughly the same "rising star" turf as himself. Stylistically these recordings varied greatly, enabling Coltrane - the uber-modernist - to share a mic with players with very different musical aspirations, including the Lester Young-inspired Paul Quinichette, Count Basie-regular Frank Wess, Belgian jazz-migrant Bobby Jaspar and the alchemic ex-Woody Herman pairing of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. Closer to his home, he also appeared alongside three musicians who were equal contenders for the Hard Bop tenor crown - Johnny Griffin, Hank Mobley and Sonny Rollins - famously meeting the latter on the magical one-off Tenor Madness, the ultimate heavyweight saxophone showdown. This new Acrobat release is the first to concentrate exclusively on these tenor sax-centred sessions, and alongside Coltrane and his saxophone-playing colleagues, the roll-call of jazz notables to be heard also includes trumpeters Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan and Idrees Sulieman, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianists Red Garland, Elmo Hope and Mal Waldron and drummers Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor and Ed Thigpen.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

Weeja
Polka Dots And Moonbeams
On It
Avalon
Tenor Madness
Just You, Just Me
Tenor Conclave
Disc 2:

How Deep Is The Ocean'
Bob's Boys
Anatomy
Interplay
Light Blue
Soul Eyes
Disc 3:

Smokestack
The Way You Look Tonight
Ball Bearing
All The Things You Are
Cattin'
Anatomy
Vodka
Sunday
Disc 4:

Blues For Tomorrow
Dealin' [Take 2]
Wheelin' [Take 2]
Robbins Nest
Things Ain't What They Used To Be