Giant Steps by John Coltrane (CD, Jun-1987, Atlantic USA)

Giant Steps really was giant steps for Coltrane during this recording. An all star line up that included some of the best hard bop studio players around during that time in the early part of 1959. Coltrane had finished being a sideman and marked his debut as a leader. This recording put "Trane" on the map as being one of the top inovators of the avantgard/hard bop era. It was this recording that Coltrane like Monk would record his own compositions and with the help of Cedar Walton Wynton Kelly and Tommy Flanagan and a supportive cast that includes Paul Chambers, Art Taylor, Lex Humphries and Jimmy Cobb, would solidify his place as a major figure in the history of jazz. These musicians helped Coltrane in his search for the rhythm section he would eventually employ. Paul Chambers was his bassist of choice like many other hard bop practitioners but was unavailable to join Coltrane's permanent band due to his early death. Just after this landmark recording, Coltrane found the band that would lead him to even greater heights of expression. That of McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. Jazz is about unexplored territory and intensity, John Coltrane delivers on both fronts.

Giant Steps by John Coltrane is absolutely one of the first truly innovative recordings in jazz history. A saxophone was never played in the way that Coltrane played it on Giant Steps. Bird (Charlie Parker) was really the only other sax player that was happening around the same time (actually, a bit earlier) but certainly did not play like Coltrane. Every song is excellent and epitomizes the style that would become known as "progressive jazz". I own the vinyl LP version of this and was "turned on" to it back in 1970. I bought the CD because of the alternate takes available. Unlike the canned, electronic "smooth jazz" of today, this is down home, straight ahead, REAL JAZZ.