John Coltrane - The Prestige Recordings (16 CD)

The 16 CDs in this compendium represent nearly everything that John Coltrane recorded for the Prestige label during a 32-month period between May 7, 1956, and December 26, 1958. What's missing are Coltrane's contributions to the mid-'50s Miles Davis band, which are on the equally exhaustive and highly recommended Davis Chronicle box set released in 1990. Otherwise, listeners are treated to the sessions that produced the seminal long-players Coltrane, Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette, Traneing In, Soultrane, Lush Life, Settin' the Pace, Standard Coltrane, Stardust, The Believer, Black Pearls, Bahia, and The Last Trane – all of which highlight the artist as either a leader or co-leader. Not included in that list are an additional 19 albums that boast Coltrane's involvement as a support musician. The music is presented primarily in a chronological fashion – commencing with a pair of May 1956 outings with pianist Elmo Hope and tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Wrapping things up are five tunes cut the day after Christmas of 1958 alongside trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Coltrane's legend is ingrained in the grooves of such indispensable entries as "How Deep Is the Ocean?" flanked by tenor saxophonists Zoot Sims, Hank Mobley, and Al Cohn – as originally heard on Tenor Conclave. There is also the Tadd Dameron-commanded "Soultrane" and the definitive "The Way You Look Tonight," during one of the many Mal Waldron confabs, plus "Undecided," sporting Red Garland at the helm. And who could forget the Great American Songbook selections "Lush Life," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Lover," "Russian Lullaby," "Why Was I Born?," "Lover Come Back to Me," "Stardust," and "Time After Time"? Accompanying the music is a 32-page liner notes booklet. Inside are a historical essay from Doug Ramsey, a session-by-session breakdown by Carl Woideck (and the occasional notation from producer Orrin Keepnews), and several different cross-references of the contents. Overall, the audio quality is excellent throughout, especially considering that the original tapes were transferred during the infancy of digital audio technology. Since 1991, the majority of the music has been remastered and issued on the individual album titles with even more astonishing results.//allmusic.com

Tracklist:

CD 1:

01 - Tenor Madness
02 - Weeja
03 - Polka Dots And Moonbeams
04 - On It
05 - Avalon
06 - Tenor Conclave
07 - How Deep Is the Ocean?

CD 2:

01 - Just You, Just Me
02 - Bob's Boys
03 - Mating Call
04 - Soultrane
05 - Gnid
06 - Super Jet
07 - On A MIsty Night
08 - Romas
09 - Soul Eyes

CD 3:

01 - Anatomy
02 - Interplay
03 - Light Blue
04 - C.T.A.
05 - Eclypso
06 - Solacium
07 - Minor Mishap
08 - Tommy's Time

CD 4:

01 - Dakar
02 - Mary's Blues
03 - Route 4
04 - Velvet Scene
05 - Witches' Pit
06 - Cat Walk
07 - Pot Pourri
08 - J.M.'s Dream Doll
09 - Don't Explain
10 - Falling In Love With Love

CD 5:

01 - Blue Calypso
02 - The Way You Look Tonight
03 - From This Moment On
04 - One By One
05 - Cattin'
06 - Anatomy
07 - Vodka
08 - Sunday

CD 6

01 - Straight Street
02 - While My Lady Sleeps
03 - Chronic Blues
04 - Bakai
05 - Violets For Your Furs
06 - Time Was
07 - I Hear A Rhapsody
08 - Trane's Slo Blues
09 - Slowtrane
10 - Like Someone In Love
11 - I Love You

CD 7:

01 - Dealin' (Take 1)
02 - Dealin' (Take 2)
03 - Wheelin' (Take 1)
04 - Wheelin' (Take 2)
05 - Robbins' Nest
06 - Things Ain't What They Used To Be

CD 8:

01 - You Leave Me Breathless
02 - Bass Blues
03 - Soft Lights And Sweet Music
04 - Traneing In
05 - Slow Dance
06 - Our Delight
07 - They Can't Take That Away From Me
08 - Woody'n You
09 - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

CD 9:

01 - Undecided
02 - Soul Junction
03 - What Is There To Say?
04 - Birk's Works
05 - Hallelujah
06 - All Morning Long

CD 10:

01 - Billie's Bounce
02 - Solitude
03 - Two Bass Hit
04 - Soft Winds
05 - Lazy Mae
06 - Under Paris Skies
07 - Two Sons

CD 11:

01 - Clifford's Kappa
02 - Filide
03 - Paul's Pal
04 - Ammon Joy
05 - Groove Blues
06 - The Real McCoy
07 - It Might As Well Be Spring

CD 12:

01 - Lush Life
02 - The Believer
03 - Nakatini Serenade
04 - Come Rain Or Come Shine
05 - Lover
06 - Russian Lullaby
07 - Theme For Ernie

CD 13:

01 - You Say You Care
02 - Good Bait
03 - I Want To Talk About You
04 - Lyresto
05 - Why Was I Born?
06 - Freight Trane
07 - I Never Knew
08 - Big Paul

CD 14:

01 - Rise 'N' Shine
02 - I See Your Face Before Me
03 - If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You
04 - Little Melonae
05 - By The Numbers
06 - Black Pearls

CD 15:

01 - Lover Come Back To Me
02 - Sweet Sapphire Blues
03 - Spring Is Here
04 - Invitation
05 - I'm A Dreamer, Aren't We All
06 - Love Thy Neighbor
07 - Don't Take Your Love From Me

CD 16:

01 - Stardust
02 - My Ideal
03 - I'll Get By
04 - Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?
05 - Then I'll Be Tired Of You
06 - Something I Dreamed Last Night
07 - Bahia
08 - Goldsboro Express
09 - Time After Time

Musicians:

Pepper Adams (Sax Baritone), Gene Ammons (Leader, Sax Tenor), Kenny Burrell (Guitar), Donald Byrd (Trumpet), Paul Chambers (Bass), Jimmy Cobb (Drums), Gil Coggins (Piano), Al Cohn (Sax Tenor), John Coltrane (Sax Alto, Sax Tenor), Tadd Dameron (Piano), Spanky DeBrest (Bass), Ray Draper (Tuba), Julian Euell (Bass), Tommy Flanagan (Piano), Red Garland (Piano), Wilbur Harden (Trumpet, Flugelhorn), Bill Hardman (Trumpet), Louis Hayes (Drums), Albert "Tootie" Heath (Drums), Richard "Groove" Holmes (Performer), Elmo Hope (Piano), Freddie Hubbard (Trumpet), Bobby Jaspar (Sax Tenor), Philly Joe Jones (Drums), George Joyner (Bass), Earl May (Bass), Jackie McLean (Sax Alto), Hank Mobley (Sax Tenor), Jamil Nasser (Bass), Cecil Payne (Sax Baritone), Paul Quinichette (Sax Tenor), Jerome Richardson (Flute), Larry Ritchie (Drums), Sonny Rollins (Sax Tenor), Sahib Shihab (Sax Alto, Sax Baritone), John Simmons (Bass), Zoot Sims (Sax Tenor), Johnny Splawn (Trumpet), Idrees Sulieman (Trumpet), Art Taylor (Drums), Ed Thigpen (Drums), Mal Waldron (Piano), Doug Watkins (Bass), Frank Wess (Flute, Sax Tenor), Webster Young (Cornet).