Requisites

Coltrane Plays The Blues ~ John Coltrane | By Eddie Carter

The weather outside is cold, dreary, and rainy, with a thick and impenetrable fog enveloping the area, making it a perfect day to enjoy the blues. Submitted for your consideration from the library is Coltrane Plays The Blues (Atlantic 1382/SD 1382) by John Coltrane. It’s a quartet date that hit the stores in 1962 but was initially recorded at the 1960 session that produced My Favorite Things and perfectly fit the bill for this morning’s discussion. The ensemble is John Coltrane on soprano sax (tracks: A2, B2) and tenor sax (A1, A3, B1, B3), McCoy Tyner on piano (A1, B1 to B3), Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. My copy is the 1972 Japanese Stereo reissue (Atlantic P-7504A) by Warner-Pioneer Corporation.

Side One starts with Blues To Elvin by Elvin Jones, a tasty dish of soul food that McCoy and the rhythm section begin making the listener feel at home in the introduction. John serves the song’s appetizing melody and prepares a luscious main meal in the opening statement. McCoy enters next with a delicious interpretation, then John’s final course is a succulent dessert made all the more delectable by the trio’s supplement. Blues To Bechet, written for Sidney Bechet, is the first of five by John Coltrane, placing the leader on soprano sax, backed by just Davis and Jones. The threesome opens with a relaxing melody. Coltrane begins the song’s only solo with an easy swing that blossoms into one of his most innovative improvisations preceding a soft climax.

The pace quickens for the first side finale, Blues To You. John’s back on tenor and backed again by Steve and Elvin for this fast-paced tune. Coltrane grabs you from the get-go and doesn’t let go until his brief exchange with Elvin leads the listener into the climax. Side Two begins with the quartet back in complete form for his third original, Mr. Day. Davis and Jones set the groove in motion, segueing into Coltrane leading the charge on the melody. The leader continues to wail on an energetic opening statement. Tyner takes the listener on an exuberant joyride in the second interpretation. Coltrane adds an incredibly satisfying exclamation ahead of the theme’s reprise, and Davis closes the song as he began.

Mr. Syms slows the pace down for the quartet to take it easy during the opening and ending theme with John back on soprano sax. In between, McCoy has the solo spotlight and finds a comfortable groove that builds to a perfect climax. The foursome closes the album with Mr. Knight, an easy-flowing tune that displays an interesting mixture of African and West Indian music in its structure. After the group establishes the melody, Coltrane draws the listener to a few fascinating elements in the first reading. Tyner takes the reins next and makes a compelling point that paces well against the rhythm section preceding Coltrane’s reprise of the theme and the rhythm section’s slow disappearance into nothingness.

Nesuhi Ertegün supervised Coltrane Plays The Blues, and Tom Dowd was the recording engineer. The sound quality is splendid, with a clean, crisp, well-balanced soundstage. If you’re a fan of John Coltrane and in the mood, for an album to enjoy at the end of a long day or week, I invite you to check out Coltrane Plays The Blues on your next vinyl shopping trip. It’s an enticing invitation to explore and enjoy an overlooked but fascinating album that shows his lyrical side and is well worth the price of admission for a spot in your library!

~ My Favorite Things (Atlantic 1361/SD 1361) – Source: Discogs.com © 2023 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ulysses Livingston was born on January 29, 1912 in Bristol, Tennessee and played in the band of the West Virginia State College. He began his  professional career in music in the Horace Henderson band as a roadie, or, as Henderson called them, valet.

After his period with Henderson he played guitar in carnival bands on traveling road shows. By the middle of the 1930s he began to get jazz gigs with Lil Armstrong, Frankie Newton, Sammy Price, Coleman Hawkins, and Benny Carter.

Moving to New York City, Ulysses accompanied Ella Fitzgerald on tour and on record. He served briefly in the military during World War II, but returned to jazz playing on the West Coast in 1943. He played with Cee Pee Johnson in Hawaii four years later.

Alongside his guitar playing, Livingston also sang with the Spirits of Rhythm, and led a group called the Four Blazes. From the 1950s he did freelance work with West Coast jazz musicians and also became active as a record producer.

He would go on to record with the Varsity Seven, Jazz At The Philharmonic, Illinois Jacquet, Rex Stewart’s Big Eight, Pete Johnson and numerous others. Guitarist Ulysses Livingston, who also played and recorded on electric bass guitar, transitioned on October 7, 1988 in Los Angeles, California.

DOUBLE IMPACT FITNESS

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JOE GRANSDEN

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Joe Gransden returns to Serenbe with his quintet and all the sultry and romantic songs we love to hear. Avoid the crowds and book an early dinner reservation and then join us in an intimate fireside setting at the Lakeside Pavilion. Bring your special Valentine and enjoy the classic sounds of Sinatra, Bennett, Connick and Cole as you warm up for this special holiday.

This night of amazing music and drinks will get you in the Valentine’s spirit.

Complete with pre-purchase champagne option, this is an event that you and the special people in your life should not miss. This event will feature cabaret seating. Grab your spot before it is too late.

**Please note the Lakeside Pavilion will be enclosed and heated.  

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SAMARA JOY

With her upcoming Verve Records debut, Linger Awhile, 22-year-old Samara Joy makes her case to join the likes of Sarah, Ella, and Billie as the next mononymous jazz singing sensation recorded by the venerable label. Her voice, rich and velvety yet precociously refined, has already earned her fans like Anita Baker and Regina King, appearances on the TODAY Show and millions of likes on TikTok — cementing her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz singing star. On Linger Awhile, Samara will introduce that massive audience to a slew of classic standards several times older than she is through her timeless, irresistible sound.

Samara is still relatively new to jazz. Growing up in the Bronx, it was music of the past — the music of her parent’s childhoods, as she put it — that she listened to most. She treasures her musical lineage, which stretches back to her grandparents Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, both of whom performed with Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and runs through her father, who is a singer, songwriter and producer who toured with gospel artist Andraé Crouch. “Sometimes I catch myself when I’m singing — I’m like, ‘Whoa, that was a dad moment’,” Samara quips. Eventually, she did follow in the family tradition, singing in church and then with the jazz band at Fordham High School for the Arts, with whom she won Best Vocalist at JALC’s Essentially Ellington competition. That led to her enrolling in SUNY Purchase’s jazz studies program, where she fell deeply in love with the music.

Though she’s young, she relishes the process of digging through the music’s history and learning new standards. “I think maybe people connect with the fact that I’m not faking it, that I already feel embedded in it,” Samara says. “Maybe I’m able to reach people in person and on social media because it’s real.” The gatekeepers of the jazz world tend to agree: in 2019, she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and she’s since performed with legends like Christian McBride and Bill Charlap. Legendary late pianist Barry Harris was a particularly important influence and mentor. “You inspired me as well as many others with this fire for teaching and playing that couldn’t be dimmed by anything or anyone,” Samara writes in Linger Awhile’s liner notes, dedicating the project in part to Harris’ memory.

Samara is accompanied by esteemed veterans on Linger Awhile as well: her former professors, guitarist Pasquale Grasso and drummer Kenny Washington, form the core of the band, which also includes bassist David Wong and pianist Ben Paterson. With ease and a preternatural assurance, Samara swings right alongside them through understated yet powerful renditions of this creative collection of standards.

The 8:00pm shows both evenings are SOLD OUT!!!

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CHUCHO VALDES & PAQUITO D’RIVERA

Pianist Chucho Valdes and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera come together for one night only of Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz at The Town Hall.

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