For his second long player,
John Coltrane (tenor saxophone) joined forces with his Prestige labelmate
Red Garland (piano) to command a quartet through a five song outing supported by a rhythm section of
Paul Chambers (bass) and
Art Taylor (drums). The absence of any unessential instrumentalists encourages a decidedly concerted focus from
Coltrane, who plays with equal measures of confidence and freedom. The
Coltrane original "Traneing In" is a rousing blues that exemplifies the musical singularity between
Coltrane and
Garland. Even though the pianist takes charge from the start, the structure of the arrangement permits the tenor to construct his solo seamlessly out of
Garland's while incrementally increasing in intensity, yet never losing the song's underlying swinging bop.
Chambers then gets in on the action with an effervescent run that quotes the seasonal favorite "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." The poignant "Slow Dance" is a dark ballad with a simple, refined tune that is established by
Coltrane. He turns things over to
Chambers, and then
Garland -- whose respective style and grace are virtually indescribable -- before bringing it home with one final verse. "Bass Blues" is the second
Coltrane-penned selection on the album. Right from the tricky opening riff, the slightly asymmetrical melody showcases
Chambers' ability to mirror even the most intricate or seemingly improvised lines from
Coltrane. The mid-tempo pace is a springboard for the tenor's spontaneous inventions as he interfaces with a rollicking and ready
Garland alongside
Chambers' unfettered bowing. "You Leave Me Breathless" provides everything that a love song should with long, languid runs by
Coltrane,
Garland, and what is arguably
Paul Chambers at his absolute finest. Few passages can match the grace and stately refinement of the bassist as he pilots the proceedings behind
Taylor's steady metronome and
Garland's luminous, effective comps. John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio (1957) draws to a close on the bebop lover's dream, a fast and furious interpretation of the
Irving Berlin classic "Soft Lights and Sweet Music." Clearly
Coltrane excels within this context, laying down his note clusters more rapidly than the listener can actually absorb them. These are clear demarcations pointing toward the remarkable sonic advancements
Coltrane was espousing. And although it would be a few years before he'd make the leap into full-blown free jazz, the roots can clearly be traced back here. ~ Lindsay Planer