My Favorite Things (Album)
Occupation
- Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone: John Coltrane
- Piano: McCoy Tyner
- Bass: Steve Davis
- Drums: Elvin Jones
My Favorite Things is a jazz album by John Coltrane, recorded by Tom Dowd in New York City on 21, 24 and 26 October 1960 and published in March 1961 on Atlantic Records. It is considered by many jazz critics as one of the most important recordings of modern jazz.
Background to the album
After John Coltrane had finally left the band by Miles Davis in April 1960 after a European tour, he renewed his efforts for establishing their own formation, first with Steve Kuhn, Steve Davis and Pete Laroca. Finally, he moved for Kuhn in the summer of 1960 the pianist McCoy Tyner, for Laroca in autumn the drummer Elvin Jones a, with whom he went to the studio three times for Atlantic in October 1960. First, the albums Giant Steps and Coltrane Jazz emerged.
The album
My Favorite Things, is the third album by the saxophonist for Atlantic Records. During the recording sessions for this album, he introduced a new quartet consisting of pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Steve Davis.
The album belongs to the modal jazz and is in a period of change in style of Coltrane, which began with the hard bop and went to free jazz, which is reflected in the 1961 following recordings for the label Impulse! Records showed even more clearly. The first track of the album is a harmonious makeover of Broadway song "My Favorite Things " from the musical The Sound of Music, composed by Richard Rodgers ( to a text by Oscar Hammerstein ).
At the same time, this was the first published recording with Coltrane's soprano saxophone, an unusual at this time for the jazz instrument. The title song " My Favorite Things " shows in an impressive way the reappropriation of the instrument by Coltrane. "At the three-quarter time Coltrane [ the song ] to meter of trance and then still unusual soprano sax to a kind of Arabic oboe was. "
The jazz critic Richard Cook and Brian Morton emphasize in this context, Coltrane processing should be regarded as a radical overthrow (Subversion ) of popular songs of the Great American Songbook. In addition, Coltrane's game is on scales as an integration of Eastern idioms based on Coltrane's interest in the North Indian music of Ravi Shankar. " The theme of the waltz of Rodgers and Hammerstein Coltrane hung a long passage in E minor, or by repeating the theme in E major and improvised spreading over both parts. " He also changed the chord progression of the piece. The piece is not played as a waltz, but has more of a 6 /4 time, with an emphasis on the dotted half, and the sequences -like repetition of the motif accommodates a modal view.
This interpretation of the piece by Coltrane was "a milestone in several respects: it brought saxophonist breakthrough, made his quartet (...) to the formation of the hour, she established the soprano saxophone in modern jazz and she raised an insignificant song from a. dying musical culture overnight to jazz standard "After this recording session Coltrane played mostly modal; in the following years was " My Favorite Things " a regular part of the live program of the John Coltrane Quartet, often far more extensive and free interpreted as this 13minütige, more controlled played original version of the piece. The song was later recorded at least eighteen times and documented on albums Coltrane; but this was the only studio version that Coltrane has recorded.
The other tracks on the album, that was composed by George Gershwin standard "Summertime ," " But Not for Me" and Cole Porter's " Every Time We Say Goodbye " also under the influence of the modal way of playing the Miles Davis band, with Coltrane and a half years previously the classic Kind of Blue grossed.
The ballad " Everytime We Say Goodbye " is also presented by Coltrane on the soprano with soft tones in the upper registers. The Coltrane biographer Filtgen and addition builders have a sympathetic, solo by McCoy Tyner out the " open with flowing melody topic new levels. " "Summertime" is distinguished by its energetic pressing, played in the upbeat tempo lecture greatly from the well-known lyric Miles Davis version from 1958, which earned the trumpet on the album Porgy and Bess. Tyner Solo is created as strong as Coltrane and percussive. Filtgen and out farmer lift the finale of the album out with " But Not For Me "; the Gershwin piece is tackled in the medium-fast pace and relaxed.
Evaluation and impact of the album
The week in October 1960 is considered by Lewis Porter as the most important in Coltrane's work on Atlantic. The recordings of My Favorite Things, especially the title track, earned the saxophonist a wide recognition in the jazz audience; the piece was a Jazzhit in the United States. The Coltrane biographer Ashley Kahn referred to Coltrane's style around 1960/61, shortly before joining the newly formed jazz label Impulse Records, as the then most influential of modern jazz; with its harmonic changes he was perceived and worshiped as the leading innovator.
Richard Cook and Brian Morton, both the (later ) Total Edition The Heavyweight Champion as well as the original LP -rated in her The Penguin Guide to Jazz with the highest score, in particular emphasize the theme song as the centerpiece of Coltrane 's repertoire. Brian Priestley also raises in the Rough Guide Jazz out the album from the extensive Coltrane discography and mentions the modal improvisation of the title track and the sensitive ballad Everytime We Say Goodbye.
Disco Graphic Comments
Released in March 1961 album contained the first recording of the three October sessions of the John Coltrane Quartet. The other, well-established on 21, 24 and October 26, 1960 Title only appeared when the saxophonist with Impulse! Records, was; In July 1962, the album Coltrane Plays the Blues ( Atlantic 1382 ) and in June 1964 Coltrane 's Sound (Atlantic 1419 ). The alternate takes of the October sessions were released after Coltrane's death under the title The Coltrane Legacy (Atlantic 1553) in April 1970 and Alternate Takes ( Atlantic 1668) in January 1975. The complete recordings appeared in 1995 in the order of their creation, together with the respective alternate takes incurred in the 6- CD set The Heavyweight Champion - The Complete Atlantic Recordings.
The title
- John Coltrane Quartet - My Favourite Things (Atlantic 1361 (LP) / 812275350-2 (CD) )
The October sessions in chronological order
- October 21, 1960, Atlantic Studios, NYC
- October 24, 1960, Atlantic Studios, NYC
- October 26, 1960, Atlantic Studios, NYC