Coltrane for Lovers

by John Coltrane

Overview

If you came across a CD titled Getz for Lovers, Prez for Lovers, or Baker for Lovers, you wouldn't be the least bit surprised. After all, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, and Lester "The Pres" Young were all famous for their smooth ballad playing -- if you've been listening to Julie London or June Christy and suddenly find yourself in the mood for something comparable by an instrumentalist, those guys would be obvious choices. John Coltrane, however, isn't necessarily the first person that people associate with adjectives like smooth and romantic. Trane could be a very forceful, aggressive player -- some reviewers have described his playing as "angry" -- and during the last few years of his life (when he was exploring atonal free jazz), the saxman could be downright blistering. Nonetheless, the fact is that Trane was a magnificent ballad player, and it makes perfect sense for Verve to assemble a collection of his more romantic work. Released in 2001, Coltrane for Lovers draws on such Impulse! titles as Coltrane ("Soul Eyes"), Impressions ("After the Rain"), and Ballads ("It's Easy to Remember"). "My Little Brown Book," a Billy Strayhorn gem, is from Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, while "They Say It's Wonderful" illustrates the triumphant nature of Trane's 1963 encounter with singer Johnny Hartman. Back in 1963, there were those who felt that Coltrane and Hartman, a very sophisticated crooner, were an odd combination. But in fact, the two provided to be every bit as compatible as Coltrane and Ellington. Again, Coltrane was versatile -- he loved to play forcefully, but that didn't prevent him from having a romantic side. Coltrane for Lovers doesn't tell the entire story where Coltrane's ballad playing is concerned; the saxman also did his share of stunning ballad work at Prestige and Atlantic. Nonetheless, this is an excellent collection that has no problem reminding us just how warm and expressive his ballad playing could be. ~ Alex Henderson

Product Details

Release Date:	01/23/2001
Label:	Impulse! / Polygram
UPC:	0731454936125

Tracks

1. My One and Only Love
2. Too Young to Go Steady
3. In a Sentimental Mood
4. It's Easy to Remember
5. Dedicated to You
6. You Don't Know What Love Is
7. After the Rain
8. My Little Brown Book
9. Soul Eyes
10. They Say It's Wonderful
11. Nancy (With the Laughing Face)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Coltrane   Primary Artist,Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
John Coltrane Quartet   Primary Artist
Johnny Hartman   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Vocals
Cannonball Adderley Quintet   Primary Artist
Duke Ellington   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Piano
Roy Haynes   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Drums
Elvin Jones   Guest Artist,Drums
Reggie Workman   Guest Artist,Bass
Jimmy Garrison   Guest Artist,Bass,Double Bass
Aaron Bell   Guest Artist,Bass,Double Bass
McCoy Tyner   Guest Artist,Piano
Sam Woodyard   Drums
Jimmy Cobb   Drums
Renee Rosnes   Sequencing
Wynton Kelly   Piano
Paul Chambers   Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

Jimmy McHugh   Composer
Jack Elliott   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Hy Zaret   Composer
Peter DeRose   Composer
Leslie Bricusse   Composer
Robert Mellin   Composer
Richard Seidel   Producer
Saul Chaplin   Composer
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer,Recording
James Van Heusen   Composer
Phil Silvers   Composer
Billy Strayhorn   Composer
Guy Wood   Composer
Bryan Koniarz   Production Coordination
Harold Adamson   Composer
Mal Waldron   Composer
Anthony Newley   Composer
Manny Kurtz   Composer
Victor Young   Composer
Harry Warren   Composer
Sammy Cahn   Composer
Peter Keepnews   Editing
Chuck Stewart   Photography
Amelie Hazard   Illustrations
Hollis King   Art Direction
Robert Haggart   Composer
Sherniece Smith   Art Producer
George Douglas   Producer
Allan Tucker   Mastering
Gene DePaul   Composer
Bob Thiele   Producer
Irving Mills   Composer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Jack Tracy   Producer
Carlos Kase   Research Coordination,Production Coordination
John Coltrane   Composer,Producer
Don Raye   Composer
Gene Paul   Composer
Lorenz Hart   Composer