Coltrane Plays The Blues

On this album, Coltrane explores the rich and soulful world of blues music through his distinct improvisational style. He takes familiar blues structures and infuses them with his own unique phrasing, harmonic explorations, and intense emotional depth. The result is a collection of captivating performances that demonstrate Coltrane's deep understanding and mastery of the blues idiom.

"Coltrane's sessions for Atlantic in late October 1960 were prolific, yielding the material for My Favorite Things, Coltrane Plays the Blues, and Coltrane's Sound. My Favorite Things was destined to be the most remembered and influential of these, and while Coltrane Plays the Blues is not as renowned or daring in material, it is still a powerful session. As for the phrase "plays the blues" in the title, that's not an indicator that the tunes are conventional blues (they aren't). It's more indicative of a bluesy sensibility, whether he is playing muscular saxophone or, on "Blues to Bechet" and "Mr. Syms," the more unusual sounding (at the time) soprano sax. Elvin Jones, who hadn't been in Coltrane's band long, really busts out on the quicker numbers, such as "Blues to You" and "Mr. Day." - Richie Unterberger

Musicians:
John Coltrane, soprano & tenor sax
McCoy Tyner, piano
Steve Davis, bass
Elvin Jones, drums