John Coltrane

Related Content

• Mickey Raphael, Willie Nelson's Harmonica-Playing Sidekick, Talks Paul Simon, Phil Lesh, and the Dead
  February 2, 2012
• Christmas Sweater Party at Biergarten, Florida Brewer Tap Takeover at World of Beer, and More Food Events This Week in South Florida
  December 19, 2011
• Broward Judge Tries to Teach Juvenile Delinquents What the Jazz Is All About
  May 26, 2011
• In an Elling Tone
  June 9, 2011
• Sea in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea: Fresh Catch, Feels Like Home
  September 15, 2011

More About

• John Coltrane
• Nat Hentoff
• Thelonious Monk
• Pepper Adams
• Miles Davis

In the extensive liner notes that accompany this five-disc set, jazz writer Nat Hentoff quotes John Coltrane as having once said, "I wish I could walk up to my music as if I'd never heard it before. I'll never know what the listener feels, and that's too bad." For the bulk of Interplay, the new box set taken from some fairly obscure sessions during the late 1950s, a still relatively young Coltrane is encountered tinkering with new styles and capturing their results for the first time. The material here, originally released across a span of eight Prestige albums, features some unorthodox group configurations, such as the four-tenor "conclave" of Coltrane/Al Cohn/Hank Mobley/Zoot Simms, a double-baritone group featuring baritone sax players Cecil Payne and Pepper Adams, and two groups that feature guitarist Kenny Burrell. The allure of this new package lies in the fact that Coltrane's work from the same period as sideman to Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis has received far greater scrutiny, and this is a side of Trane without much of that pressure. The listenability factor is high throughout, especially on the delightfully melodic fifth disc, which means that Interplay should hold substantial appeal for the casual fan or the initiate, as well as the completist, despite the relative obscurity of the tracks. And exquisite packaging makes Interplay a sumptuous feast for the eyes and ears.