The records of all three periods share the same sense of drive, creativity and abandon, reflecting an extraordinary genius. But within that short span, Coltrane’s Atlantic releases are among his most satisfying records. Unlike the Prestige recordings, which contained a mix of covers and Coltrane originals, Coltrane’s own compositions move center stage with Atlantic. At the same time, his style was also developing, becoming more experimental and interesting than on the earlier Prestige recordings, yet not as far out as the late Impulse! Material, much of which is too challenging for a wider audience. But let’s not too definite about the differences between these two later periods – especially given the incredibly short time span that bridges both. His first Atlantic release was in January of 1960 and Coltrane signed with Impulse! in May 1961. The fifth (out of eight) Atlantic title was issued in November 1961, the same month that Coltrane’s first Impulse! release hit the record shelves. It would be more remarkable if there weren’t a clear progression between the Atlantic and the early Impulse! Recordings.
Coltrane’s playing went through a phase of rapid development during the Atlantic period, with a recording tempo that is unmatched in today’s world. It was during this period that he started the widespread incorporation of what are now called “Coltrane changes”, chord changes that have become a standard harmonic substitution in jazz improvisation. The speed and creativity with which he played the changes took the jazz world by storm.
Family sounds…
What the Atlantic recordings do not share with the Prestige, Blue Note and Impulse! titles is the sound signature of recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Like most classic Atlantic titles, the recording sessions were run by Tom Dowd, in some cases teamed with Phil Lehle, with only one album recorded outside that Atlantic family. Dowd is just as much a legend as Van Gelder, making his mark with pop and R & B before recording some of the greatest jazz albums of the era, with Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Charles Mingus. Tom Dowd did a lot of things right, among them the fact that he ran stereo tapes in tandem with his main mono set up, beginning in the early 1950s. Atlantic’s stereo releases were never “fake” stereo and, unlike Van Gelder recordings of the same period, the mono releases were not stereo fold downs. Even so, the stereo staging does not sound entirely natural, and the mono pressings present a more realistic musical balance and instrumental separation. When it comes to modern, audiophile re-issues, it’s Van Gelder’s Blue Note recordings that have garnered earlier and greater attention from the major players, but that’s beginning to change. In the last few years, Speakers Corner has issued a number of early Atlantic stereo titles, pressings that certainly seem to improve on the original, exaggerated instrumental spacing, although none of these have been Coltrane records.
During his brief time with Atlantic, Coltrane recorded Giant Steps(1311); Coltrane Jazz (1354); My Favorite Things (1361); Bags & Trane (1368), Olé Coltrane (1373); Coltrane Plays The Blues (1382); Coltrane’s Sound (1419) and The Avant-Garde (1451). Bags & Trane was recorded first, in January 1959, but not released until 1961. The earliest Coltrane Atlantic release was Giant Steps, mostly recorded in May 1959, only months before Miles Davis recorded Kind Of Blue (Columbia CL 1355/CS 8163) with Coltrane. The last Atlantic sessions took place in May 1961 (issued as Olé Coltrane). Atlantic released two posthumous LPs—1970’s The Coltrane Legacy (SD 1553; a compilation of outtakes) and 1974’s Alternate Takes(SD 1668).
