School of Rock
Random article All articles A–Z
2 languages

Blue Train

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Blue Train is the only record John Coltrane made as a leader for Blue Note. Rudy Van Gelder recorded it on 15 September 1957 at his studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, right in the period when Coltrane was playing with Thelonious Monk's quartet at the Five Spot. Unlike his previous label, Blue Note paid the musicians to rehearse. Besides the saxophonist, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones played.

He wrote four of the five pieces himself, which was rare at the time. The album stays within hard bop, but his playing already points ahead: his solos are more harmonically constructed, with broken chords and a sense of timing that often lies just behind or ahead of the beat. In 1960 he called it his favourite album to that point. Michael Cuscuna, who produced the reissues for Blue Note, heard a floating, almost ghostly quality in the title track.

Listening

Listening tip. In Blue Train, listen to the blues theme and to how Coltrane plays long, broken chord lines in his solo that often land just off the beat.

Track list

  1. 1Blue Train (Remastered)10:43Apple Music ↗
  2. 2Moment's Notice (Remastered)9:10Apple Music ↗
  3. 3Locomotion (Remastered)7:15Apple Music ↗
  4. 4I'm Old Fashioned (Remastered)7:59Apple Music ↗
  5. 5Lazy Bird (Remastered)7:07Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

Categories: Albums and songs