-Artist: John Coltrane
Genre: Jazz
Release Year: 1965 (re-release 2009)
Label: Impulse!
Like all people who love jazz and have their head screwed on right, I think of John Coltrane as no less than a legend. With the ability to compose the likes of Giant Steps and the imagination to convert My Favourite Things into a jazz anthem, he deserves no greater compliment. So naturally I was very excited about buying my first of his albums.
It's the biggest man-made disaster since global warming.
From the opening track, I was expecting another Favourite Things; a traditional musical number turned into a stylish jazz waltz. There is nothing stylish about this car-crash. Coltrane squeals his way through it like a pig that's been force-fed a bacon sandwich, and Elvin Jones sounds as if he was taught to play the drums through anger-management lessons. Chim Chim Cheree is a disaster.
But I guess McCoy Tyner deserves credit for learning to play the piano...with his face.
Maybe Song of Praise can redeem the album? Maybe Coltrane will play more tunefully on his usual saxophone, the tenor? The opening holds promise, the lilting melody holds your attention. Then I think Coltrane's music fell off the stand, and I hit the skip track button, imagining the blood dripping from Tyner's broken nose.
Nature Boy follows the same pattern, a beautifully played cadenza at the beginning, which belly-flops.
I didn't even bother listening to the last track.
1/10
Buy "The John Coltrane Quartet Plays" on amazon.co.uk.
So there's my view on this classic jazz album. If you've heard it, tell us what you think in the comments below.
And that's Crash Hub fill for today. Tomorrow is TV day, and I'll have all the most recent news for you, including the announcement of a new cop drama starring David Tennant. See you then
Tom :)
No comments:
Post a Comment