Episode 62, Blue Train by Coltrane

If you are an amateur or professional jazz musician taking part in a jazz jam, or someone who enjoys listening to those jams, at some point someone will call out tunes like “Moment’s Notice”, or “Lazy Bird”.   And, for sure, you’ll hear someone suggest they play “Blue Train”.   One thing all those tunes have in common is that they were written by John Coltrane, and, they are also from the same album.   The album was released in 1957 and was Coltrane’s only album on the famous Bluenote label. Blue Train was considered to be one of his most accessible albums, so I thought it was worth featuring it on today’s episode of Discovering Jazz.   Also included on the digital release of that classic album (the original lp sells for as high as $1000) are a couple alternate recordings. You’ll hear spectacular (and one not so spectacular) Coltrane solos, as well as great playing by trombonist Curtis Fuller, trumpeter Lee Morgan (19 years old at the time), Kenny Drew on piano (great solo he does on Lazy Bird), Paul Chambers-bass, and one of the world’s greatest drummers, Philly Joe Jones.