From time to time, I intend to focus on a single track that I find electrifying and represents a definitive work by a significant jazz artist. The purpose of such a narrow focus is to separate one song from an artist's body of work, put it in context with the time in which it was released, and offer a gateway into an artist's discography for those who may be less familiar with him or her. For those who are familiar, it will likely be a track you've forgotten about.
The first "electrifying track" in this series is Traneing In, from John Coltrane's third studio album as a leader—John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio (Prestige). The album was renamed Traneing In in 1961 and given a new cover with Coltrane's image.
Why bother with a new cover in 1961? Bob Porter had the answer: "Rudy Van Gelder began recording in stereo in 1957, but stereo issues were not done right away. It wasn’t until more than a year later (1958) that stereo releases began to appear on Prestige. While some stereo sessions were mixed down to mono, Van Gelder ran one mono and one stereo tape machine.
"What controlled the decision to reissue an album with a new cover was the jacket [cardboard shell] and slick [glossy cover image] inventories. If you had slicks, you could fabricate jackets. Once your old slicks were gone, your album was out of print. When you reissued, you could reorder the old cover slick or design a new one based on sales, shifts in the market, artist success, a label's new look and other trends and factors.
"Prestige founder Bob Weinstock was pretty good at estimating quantities for slicks. Jackets were fabricated based on advance orders and adjusted, if needed, based on initial sales. But when sales happened quickly, the adjustment had to be made quickly and sometimes the number was moving so well that you could create a new cover in the same amount of time."
Recorded on August 23, 1957, the Traneing In track featured Coltrane (ts), Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Art Taylor (d). What makes this original blues by Coltrane special is the way in which Garland digs in with block chords during the lengthy opening, which lasts 3:33. It's some of the finest assertive blues piano you'll ever hear. Coltrane's playing here is particularly muscular and decisive, and it features an early use of his "sheets of sound" technique while soloing. Chambers's bass solo shows off his powerful hand and lyrical lines while Taylor's drums are spry and sharp. Garland's outro solo is equally spectacular.
If ever a saxophonist announced to the jazz world that a new player was in town, Coltrane did so on this track. And the trio was there with him the entire way. Makes my hairs stand up on end each time I hear it.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find John Coltrane's album, Traneing In, here.
The album also is available at Spotify.
JazzWax clip: Here's Traneing In...