So What (Miles Davis) (LP 448)

Miles Davis Kind Of Blue (Vinyl, CBS, 1960) ***** 

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Marbeck Records (I've got an Australian pressing - hence the different cover from the normal one)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: So What

Gear costume:  Freddie Freeloader

Active compensatory factors: It's widely acknowledged as a classic of the genre and it's easy to see why.

It's fresh, different, searching, comfortable, accessible, mysterious, dense, full of space. 

The musicians are all at a peak. By 1960 they knew each other well - often appearing together and on each other's recording dates. Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Cannonball Adderly and Bill Evans are all leaders with a wide range of albums under their own name.

Apparently, this group of musicians were only presented with sketches of the songs by Miles shortly before they were recorded, so there is a large degree of spontaneity in these performances.

Where do they all belong? This album is atop the jazz tree - nothing above it.

Locomotion (John Coltrane) (LP 123)

John Coltrane Blue Train (Vinyl - Blue Note, 1958) ****

Genre: Jazz

Places I remember: Marbecks Records (Auckland)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Locomotion (Trane/train - see what he did there?)

Gear costume: Blue Train

Active compensatory factors: Coltrane’s only album on the famous Blue Note label was his self-proclaimed favourite album up to 1960.

It's a varied hard bop affair with Lee Morgan, on trumpet, Kenny Drew, piano, and Curtis Fuller, on trombone, joining the rythym section (Paul Chambers, bass, 'Philly' Joe Jones, drums), to provide additional colour to Coltrane's masterful tenor sax.

Overall, it's hard to argue with the sleeve notes that highlight the 'free, but not disorganized, blowing mood that has everyone in exceptional form both individually and collectively'.

Where do they all belong? Coltrane would next take a giant step in 1959.