Music reviews

Coltrane, John: Soultrane

CD, Prestige 1987 (1958)

Track list: Good Bait - I Want to Talk About You - You Say You Care - Theme for Ernie - Russian Lullaby

Tempo of the tunes on this album goes from break-neck to mid-tempo to slow ballads. Little bit of something for everyone. From the intro of "Russian Lullaby", you might indeed expect a lullaby - but you'd be wrong! When Arthur Taylor's drums and Coltrane's sax kick in, the tune is nothing but sleepy. Gentler touch can be found in melancholic "Theme for Ernie", a composition dedicated to a deceased saxophonist. John Coltrane, an excellent musician on his own, is backed up with talented musicians (already mentioned Arthur Taylor, Paul Chambers on bass and Red Garland on piano) - the result is excellent, soulful jazz. ****

Six Months Later:
I guess Soultrane is one of my favourites of what I've heard from Coltrane. "Russian Lullaby" is the brightest star on the album, I think. The conflict between the title and the tempo is delicious. ****