John Coltrane – Another Side of John Coltrane (Ltd Edn Yellow Vinyl 2LP)

New Collection Examining Coltrane’s Work as a Sideman including the Trailblazing Saxophonist’s Work with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Red Garland, Tadd Dameron & Art Taylor!

180g Vinyl 2LP-Set Mastered by Paul Blakemore at CMG Mastering with Lacquer Cutting by Clint Holley at Well Made Music

While John Coltrane’s legacy largely focuses on his innovative and influential work as a leader, the saxophonist and composer began his career as a highly respected sideman, who rose to fame playing alongside some of the greatest names in jazz. Craft Recordings’ new release, Another Side of John Coltrane, explores this aspect of the trailblazing artist’s career and spotlights some of his best work in sessions led by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Red Garland, Tadd Dameron, and Art Taylor.

The collection is produced by Nick Phillips, mastered by the Grammy-winning engineer Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Clint Holley at Well Made Music. Another Side of John Coltrane also includes new liner notes by the award-winning journalist, author, and Jazz Journalists Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Doug Ramsey. This 180g vinyl 2LP edition also includes two bonus tracks, not featured on the CD or digital: “Nutty” (from Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane) and “Birks’ Works” (from Soul Junction by the Red Garland Quintet ft. John Coltrane and Donald Byrd).

Coltrane launched his musical career in the mid-40s, sharing the stage with leaders like King Kolax and Jimmy Heath, followed by Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Hodges, and even his idol, Charlie Parker. But a call from Miles Davis in 1955 changed the course of his life. Davis was forming a new band and invited the promising young saxophonist to join him, along with Garland, Chambers, and Jones. Known as the “First Great Quintet,” the legendary group recorded a string of highly regarded titles over the next two years, including the Relaxin’, Workin’, Steamin’, and Cookin’ series for Prestige. This was also a period of significant artistic growth for Coltrane.

Although Another Side of John Coltrane primarily focuses on sessions captured between 1956-1957, the album also features one additional standout performance, recorded well into Coltrane’s career as a respected leader. The song – a rendition of “Someday My Prince Will Come” from the 1937 Disney animated film Snow White – is a classic in Davis’ cannon, thanks in part to an otherworldly solo by Coltrane, who joined his former boss in the studio for two tracks on the subsequent 1961 LP, Someday My Prince Will Come.

In May 1957, the artist recorded Coltrane – his first album as a leader – soon followed by such early landmarks as Lush Life and Soultrane (both 1958), and Giant Steps (1960). While Coltrane would profoundly change the landscape of modern jazz, these foundational sessions capture the development of his sound. As Ramsey eloquently puts it, these recordings offer listeners an opportunity to experience “his ceaseless inventiveness as he expands his harmonic palette and takes increasingly greater chances in developing his solos.”

LP1

1. Sonny Rollins Quartet – Tenor Madness
2. Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants – ‘Round Midnight
3. The Miles Davis Quintet – Oleo
4. The Miles Davis Quintet – Airegin
5. Tadd Dameron With John Coltrane – Soultrane
6. Art Taylor – C.T.A.
7. Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Mood

LP2

1. Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane – Epistrophy (Alternate Take)
2. Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane – Trinkle, Tinkle
3. Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane – Nutty
4. Red Garland Quintet (featuring John Coltrane And Donald Byrd) – Birks’ Works
5. The Red Garland Quintet With John Coltrane – Billie’s Bounce
6. Miles Davis – Someday My Prince Will Come