|
The best dollar you will ever spend.Brown Book is also great. The drummer goes to kind of a weird Time Out kind of place, but he comes back and ends it nicely. Coltrane is melodic and perfect for 30 or 60 seconds and then he goes off to his atonal genius place where I cannot follow or listen. This version of In a Sentimental Mood is incredible. Just pure, heartbreaking beauty. Coltrane sounds like Johnny Hodges, Duke's regular sax player, and that's a GOOD thing.On the other tunes, Duke is exquisite on piano, the bass and drums are nice, but.
this disc has a bit more bite than the ellington and johnny hodges duo albums, but the bite is tame by coltrane's usual standards. here they produced a very fine set of jazz, indeed. while this is not amongst the very best work that either of these gentlemen have done, it is an album that any jazz fan would do well to acquire. ah, ellington and coltrane. two of my favorites. coltrane is more restrained here than is usual, but that tone remains a spellbinder.
You won't be disappointed I promise. From the moment the first song 'In a Sentimental Mood' comes on you are taken on a magical journey that truly showcases just how brilliant these artists were as musicians and composers. 'John Coltane w/ Johnny Hartman', 'Ballads', and 'Ascension') of all the jazz recordings I own on either CD or Vinyl. This is definitely not one of those cases. If you are a fan of Ellington and/or Coltrane than obviously this is a must have album. All in all, it's just fun, exciting music that gives you a warm, cushy feeling inside every time you listen to it. This one is a beauty. So many times two greats would meet and cut an album of less than superior quality.
Of course it's always great to have such a fine rythm section backing you up - Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones (awesome as always)., Aaron Bell, Sam Woodward,. Those of you who are relatively new to jazz, this is a must have. These classic albums Coltrane did for Impulse are some of my personal favorites (i.e. Every song on this album is perfect. all playing at their best.
The music was subperb.Amazon sent me this CD in a most timely fashion. How can I say anything negative about two of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived. All went smoothly.
It may have been mouthpiece problems or maybe because he was playing with Duke Ellington. At the tempos and volumes they're playing at, there isn't a significant difference between the two sets. Some have said Duke sounds more modern than Coltrane, but I don't hear that. Coltrane's playing on it is brilliant, and Duke's piano playing sounds much better than in the 1941 version of the same song. It's also fine for non-jazz fans. Coltrane's playing is a slight retreat in terms of adventurousness.
This album won't turn your personal jazz world on its ear, but it is a lot of fun to listen to. The album starts with one of the greatest versions of a jazz song - "In A Sentimental Mood". The bass & drum alternate between Duke's & John's. Either way, it's lack of challenge doesn't diminish the beauty of the playing.
|
