Requisites

My Favorite Things ~ John Coltrane | By Eddie Carter

I was reading a few nights ago and wanted something to listen to before heading to bed, so I pulled out an old favorite that always transports me back to my childhood and still blows me away every time I hear it. This morning’s subject of discussion is My Favorite Things (Atlantic 1361/SD 1361) by John Coltrane that hit the stores in 1961. It is one of the most important albums in his discography and is a beloved record in my library. The personnel is a stellar one, Coltrane on soprano sax (tracks: A1, A2), tenor sax (tracks: B1, B2), McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on double bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1971 Atlantic Jazz Age Series Japanese Stereo reissue (Atlantic P-6030A) by Warner-Pioneer Corporation.

Side One starts with a show tune from The Sound of Music (1959), My Favorite Things by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It became a huge hit for Coltrane and his signature song whenever he performed live. The trio opens with a highly contagious introduction, segueing into a beautifully constructed melody by the saxophonist. McCoy kicks off the first solo with a captivating reading that is a feast for the ears. John comes in slowly, then takes flight into the stratosphere with a joyously unrestrained statement that swings until it returns to earth for the climax. Everytime We Say Goodbye by Cole Porter is a beautiful song that Coltrane adapts as if it was written just for him with an elegantly graceful melody and opening statement. Tyner speaks with delicacy on the closing reading ahead of the foursome’s gentle ending.

Side Two takes off with a spirited version of Summertime by George and Ira Gershwin, and DuBose Heyward. John is ablaze from the start of the melody and ascends to an exhilarating height on the opening chorus. McCoy supplies the high-octane fuel for the second performance. Steve executes the next reading meticulously with great precision, and Elvin delivers a fierce attack on the finale into the quartet’s exit. But Not For Me by George and Ira Gershwin first appeared in the musical, Girl Crazy (1930). The quartet kicks off this energetic cooker with a vigorous theme. John builds the first interpretation with blazing heat to Steve’s bass and Elvin’s impressive timekeeping, then Tyner adds his imaginative ideas on the next statement into Trane’s aggressive improvisation during the closing chorus.

Nesuhi Ertegun supervised My Favorite Things, and the engineers are Phil Lehle and Tom Dowd. Together, both men provide a solid soundstage that is good enough to transport the listener to the studio with the musicians. For me, this album is an intriguing examination of the thin lines between Hard-Bop, Modal, and Free Jazz that still sounds as fresh today as when first released sixty years ago. If you are a fan of tenor sax or are just discovering the music of John Coltrane. I offer for your next vinyl hunt, My Favorite Things. An album of soothing and swinging music that I am sure will become a welcome addition to your library.

~ Everytime We Say Goodbye, Summertime, But Not For Me – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ My Favorite Things – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2021 by Edward Thomas Carter

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