John Coltrane

Europe 2017 press.
Late-50s Trane stretching out before the full cosmic freak-outs began. Smooth standards, long solos, and that title track where he basically turns a ballad into a spiritual event. Relaxed on the surface, but you can hear him gearing up to change jazz forever. FFO: Cigarettes burning too fast, ballads that go on just long enough, Sunday afternoons that feel like evenings, and anyone who claims they “prefer early Coltrane.”