The Believer offers an early glimpse at the talents of a still-developing
John Coltrane. Recorded in the late '50s while he was still a member of the
Miles Davis Sextet, this early solo outing finds
Coltrane confident but just beginning to explore the kind of modalities with which he would soon revolutionize the world of jazz. One of the reasons
Coltrane is so at ease here is the familiar setting: he's joined by fellow
Davis cohorts
Paul Chambers and
Red Garland, among others. Drummer
Louis Hayes provides a Latin-inflected beat on "Nakatini Serenade," as
Coltrane and
Donald Byrd soar above the rhythm section. The understated
Rogers & Hammerstein standard "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" presents
Coltrane the balladeer waxing lyrical over the subtle dynamics. Things to come are hinted at briefly in flurries of notes here and there, and it's fascinating to listen to the early work of this developing genius.