Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
JOHN COLTRANE
Studio Albums: Coltrane (1957) | John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio (1958) | Soultrane (1958) | Blue Train (1958) | Mainstream 1958 (1958) | Tanganyika Strut (1958) | Jazz Way Out (1958) | Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette (1959) | The Cats (1959) | Giant Steps (1960) | Coltrane Jazz (1961) | My Favorite Things (1961) | Lush Life (1961) | Settin’ the Pace (1961) | Africa/Brass (1961) | Standard Coltrane (1962) | Olé Coltrane (1962) | Coltrane Plays the Blues (1962) | Coltrane (1962) | Dakar (1963) | Stardust (1963) | Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane (1963) | Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1963) | Ballads (1963) | John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963) | Impressions (1963) | The Believer (1964) | Black Pearls (1964) | Coltrane’s Sound (1964) | Crescent (1964) | A Love Supreme (1965) | Bahia (1965) | The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (1965) | The Last Trane (1966) | The Avant-Garde (1966) | Ascension (1966) | Meditations (1966) | Kulu Sé Mama (1967) | Expression (1967) | Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (2018) | Blue World (2019) | Readers’ Poll Results
Despite a premature death at the age of 40, John Coltrane changed jazz music and influenced future generations in ways few others have. Having had his ears opened in 1945 by hearing Charlie Parker, he practiced voraciously to become as adept as his hero—legend has it he practiced 25 hours a day.
After stints playing with “Bird” and Dizzy Gillespie, he attracted the attention of Miles Davis in 1955 and formed part of his first quintet. Just as sharp suits and nightclubs were de rigeur, so an addiction to heroin seemed to be also and Coltrane’s contributed to the breakup of Davis’ band. Despite that fact, Coltrane soon found himself working with Thelonious Monk before grasping the nettle and forming his own band.
As the 1960s dawned, Coltrane released the first set of his own compositions with Giant Steps and as the decade progressed, he became less and less tethered to traditional notions of jazz. His work became more spiritual and attached to the idea of free jazz—an idea that divided fans and critics. What was clear though, was that his desire to kick drugs had had a profound effect on his outlook and his music expressed the constant search for the divine across a multitude of faiths.
The sheer breadth of Coltrane’s abilities is a sound to behold. From his incredible interpretations of jazz standards, through his more traditional compositions such as the brooding intensity of “Alabama” in the wake of the infamous 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, all the way to his astral journeys to the beyond, he was the most influential saxophonist of all time.
Patrick’s 3 Favorite John Coltrane Albums of All Time:
1. A Love Supreme (1965)
2. Blue Train (1958)
3. Giant Steps (1960)
VISIT John Coltrane’s Official Store
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