Recorded at a single session on May 31, 1957, this was
John Coltrane's first studio outing as a bandleader, and it remains an impressive debut. Working with
Johnny Splawn on trumpet,
Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, and a rhythm section of bassist
Paul Chambers and drummer
Albert Heath with
Mal Waldron and
Red Garland splitting time at the piano,
Coltrane's sax lines are fresh and bright-sounding, with the notes flying out in little clusters, a trademark approach that
Coltrane would develop and perfect in the next decade. The album, while perhaps not as startling and world-altering as
Coltrane's later Impulse material, is wonderfully accessible and shows that
Coltrane at this point in his career was more than ready to head his own ensemble. [
Coltrane was reissued as part of the
Rudy Van Gelder Series.] ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide