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Giant Steps

Printed From: JazzMusicArchives.com
Category: Jazz Music Lounges
Forum Name: Jazz Music Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific jazz music albums
URL: http://www.JazzMusicArchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29
Printed Date: 24 Apr 2024 at 7:44am
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Topic: Giant Steps
Posted By: Atavachron
Subject: Giant Steps
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2011 at 10:50pm
The continuous patterns, inspired urgency, stamina and power, it's a hardbop masterpiece, there's little doubt.   This was the first LP with all-original Coltrane tracks, and evidently the music is a rite of passage for jazz players to improvise over.  The alternate takes are good too but I think John chose wisely for the final cut.

Discuss, and also: what's your favorite Coltrane release and why?-- and I'm looking for your personal fave, not necessarily the one you think was best produced or most important.  Live albums count.




Replies:
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2011 at 11:22pm
My favorite Coltrane is the early modal stuff like India and also some of the all-out free jazz with large ensembles he did too. The chaotic orchestral sounds of his large ensemble free jazz pieces was a sound hardly heard much before, it was fascinating even if you didn't totally get it, I used to have 'OM' on 8 track tape to listen to while cruising, ha ha ha.


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2011 at 11:32pm
Om is something, it's out there.. if you can enjoy Om I'd say you can enjoy almost anything (Brötzmann anyone? Big smile)




Posted By: js
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2011 at 11:44pm
Its best on 8-track Cool


Posted By: Kazuhiro
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2011 at 1:22am

John Coltrane after it had resigned from the Miles Davis group might have been announced continuing a really overwhelming album.

I am and there are some personally favorite albums. It is difficult for me to limit it of course. However, "Live At the Village Vanguard Again"and "Expression"Overwhelming.

I feel these performances block his essence and evolution. His regular group in the 60's might be steady. However, his work of later years feels something transcended to some degree.



Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2011 at 2:49pm
Call me common, but A Love Supreme is a particular favourite Coltrane album, though I love Ascension and Giant Steps too.


Posted By: js
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2011 at 3:43pm
I'd call you Greg, or maybe Logan, but never common.


Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2011 at 7:15pm
Probably not a popular choice, but I always liked the Ballads album.  (I realize it may be an unintentional early predecessor to the smooth jazz of the 70's and beyond.)


Posted By: js
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2011 at 7:24pm
looks like you'll be the first person kicked off the site  Wink  LOL
just kidding, i love a good jazz ballad


Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2011 at 7:34pm
Originally posted by EZ Money EZ Money wrote:

looks like you'll be the first person kicked off the site  Wink  LOL
just kidding, i love a good jazz ballad
Haha, rule = 'Viagra or Nigerian Lottery or Ballads' = auto delete.
 
Really though, it is a fine album.  In my college days...a sophomore babe, a bottle of wine,  Ballads or Willie Nelson's Stardust...
 
 


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2011 at 9:28pm
in listening to Trane's many albums, one wonders how much rehearsal and planning, if any, went into some of them.. it often sounds as if they were at the studio, hit the mics and just started playing, and the good takes were used for LPs--  closer to the way the Blues cats recorded



Posted By: js
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2011 at 9:43pm
According to something I read before said a lot of those Jimmy Smith blues jazz songs he recorded were just things he made up on the spot in the studio that were based around well known blues changes and the musicians involved were expected to just fall in and get with it.


Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2011 at 3:45pm
ah another jazz masterpiece recorded in 1959 (but released 1960)

Giant Steps might be my favorite, but i havent listened to the man's music in a good while. I'll be back


Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2011 at 3:26pm
Giant Steps is one of my fave Trane albums, no doubt.
 
Besides A Love Supreme, I'd say My Favorite Things is my other absolute fave, the title track is one of the most brilliant music ever delivered. But it's tough though, most of his 57-65 period is pure gold.


Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2011 at 9:23pm
Thanks to David/Atavachron for some recs, my current Coltrane collection is as follows:

A Love Supreme
Ascension
Dakar
Giant Steps
The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions




Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2011 at 5:14pm
Originally posted by Padraic Padraic wrote:

Thanks to David/Atavachron for some recs, my current Coltrane collection is as follows:

A Love Supreme
Ascension
Dakar
Giant Steps
The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions



Care to point out which one you liked best, and if you didn't like one of those at all. 


Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2011 at 7:00pm
I still have yet to listen to a couple of them (Dakar, Africa/Brass).  Thought Ascension was pure brilliance, which shouldn't come as a shock to those that even somewhat know my tastes.  Need more listens to all of it to form a good opinion.


Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2011 at 8:22pm
Originally posted by Padraic Padraic wrote:

I still have yet to listen to a couple of them (Dakar, Africa/Brass).  Thought Ascension was pure brilliance, which shouldn't come as a shock to those that even somewhat know my tastes.  Need more listens to all of it to form a good opinion.

I see, you might be interested in checking out stuff like Interstellar Space which is only drums and sax, just imagine it haha.

You know I'm not a fan of free jazz/avant garde, so I'm more fond of his pre-65 stuff in general. 


Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2011 at 3:01pm
Blue Train for me.  My Favourite Things next.  I don't like his later ones much like Ascension, Transition etc. I love his quartet or quintet stuff from Impulse the best. Live at the Vanguard, Africa, Chim Chim Cheree, Crescent, up to Sunship.

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Matt


Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2011 at 3:39pm
Originally posted by Matt Matt wrote:

Blue Train for me.  My Favourite Things next.  I don't like his later ones much like Ascension, Transition etc. I love his quartet or quintet stuff from Impulse the best. Live at the Vanguard, Africa, Chim Chim Cheree, Crescent, up to Sunship.

Yeah me too. There's the ocassional surprisingly good album from the free era, say 'First Meditations' is very restrained from squealings and pure chatoic moments, unlike the original 'Meditations'. 
'Stellar Regions' and 'Expressions' also have some pleasant moments, even a track with Coltrane on flute all through.



Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2011 at 4:08pm
Originally posted by Abraxas Abraxas wrote:

Originally posted by Matt Matt wrote:

Blue Train for me.  My Favourite Things next.  I don't like his later ones much like Ascension, Transition etc. I love his quartet or quintet stuff from Impulse the best. Live at the Vanguard, Africa, Chim Chim Cheree, Crescent, up to Sunship.

Yeah me too. There's the ocassional surprisingly good album from the free era, say 'First Meditations' is very restrained from squealings and pure chatoic moments, unlike the original 'Meditations'. 
'Stellar Regions' and 'Expressions' also have some pleasant moments, even a track with Coltrane on flute all through.

After getting Ascension Pablo that was it. I have kept away from his last stuff. I have listened to samples from the later Avante ones but just not me. I either love an Avante style album or it is the exact opposite. Like Threadgill, Don Cherry. Chicago Art  Ensemble but Anthony Braxton, Cecil Taylor drive me nuts. They have to keep that thread of structure at least.

-------------
Matt


Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2011 at 4:10pm
^like I said, I'm with you, I'm no avant-garde/free jazz fan either, just a couple of stuff that really isn't "free". Say those samples I passed you from Archie Shepp or mostly Pharoah Sanders which is amazing for me.


Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2011 at 4:21pm
Originally posted by Abraxas Abraxas wrote:

^like I said, I'm with you, I'm no avant-garde/free jazz fan either, just a couple of stuff that really isn't "free". Say those samples I passed you from Archie Shepp or mostly Pharoah Sanders which is amazing for me.
After Hearing that Archie Shepp one when I was ordering Hiromi there was one from Archie which I ordered as well. Thought why not, liked that tune heaps you put up 
  http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/pictures/l/16/13/VHCD-78147.jpg" rel="nofollow">


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Matt


Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2011 at 4:30pm
Im thinking about throwing GS on right now.

Ok now im doing it


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http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm


Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2011 at 3:39pm
So far, my favorite's Ascension, but I have quite a lot to hear.  A Love Supreme is right up there with it, followed by Giant Steps and Blue Trane. 

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http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">


Posted By: Polo
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2011 at 5:08pm
My favorite JC album is My Favorite Things.

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That's Kenny G with Miles Davis on my avatar, by the way.


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2011 at 5:54pm
Originally posted by Matt Matt wrote:

  http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/pictures/l/16/13/VHCD-78147.jpg" rel="nofollow">


is that Julie Newmar?  Lookin' hot !




Posted By: Hawkwise
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2011 at 7:02pm


This  is my fav Coltrane  i just love it for some reason reminds me of Gong  , over the last 18 month or so i have immersed  myself in every thing Coltrane  cant get enough of his wonderful music  and yep Giant Steps is another wonderful album




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"If you're trying to be hip, be hip." - Miles Davis


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2011 at 7:34pm
might review GS soon, quite a challenge me thinks



Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2011 at 9:30am
Giant Steps certainly is gaining a reputation here. I must check it out - whats the best song from it really?

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Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: 24 Apr 2011 at 11:36pm
 ^ I don't know if I'd say there's a best song per se, it's more of a totality



Posted By: Hawkwise
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2011 at 9:54am
Yes its one of those albums you really need to listen as whole piece. 

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"If you're trying to be hip, be hip." - Miles Davis



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