John Coltrane - Olé Coltrane (1961)

Always my Coltrane of choice, Olé may have been in some way influenced by Miles Davis' Sketches Of Spain from the previous year.  The sound of John Coltrane's 'Spanish tinge' album, however, was much looser and freer than those meticulous Gil Evans arrangements, and looks forward to the (further) fireworks Coltrane was just about to unleash: he'd started recording for Impulse two days prior to this Atlantic session.

The title track takes up all of the first side, and never loses your attention throughout its propulsive, thrilling 18 minutes.  McCoy Tyner keeps it on the rails throughout whilst Coltrane, Eric Dolphy (moonlighting as "George Lane") and Freddie Hubbard take turns in the spotlight.  Even the two-bass battle between Art Davis and Reggie Workman hits the spot.  The other two tracks are equally wonderful, with Dahomey Dance a great blues-based strut and the Tyner-penned Aisha an absolutely gorgeous ballad to close.

link
pw: sgtg

Miles Davis - Blue Moods (1955)

An often-overlooked mini masterpiece of early Miles, Blue Moods was recorded in July 1955 for Charles Mingus' Debut label.  Four tracks in just under 27 minutes of cool, smoky perfection, Blue Moods has an interesting (and unique in Miles' catalogue) lineup that contributes to its mellow atmosphere: trumpet, trombone (Britt Woodman), vibraphone (Teddy Charles), bass (Mingus) and drums (Elvin Jones).

By 1955 in jazz, the 10" mini-LP was on its way out, and longer albums becoming the norm; this is likely why the original liner notes pointed out that the brevity of this 12" LP was an audiophile choice to experiment with wider grooves.  Perhaps also true is that only these four tracks were rehearsed and taped; the CD excuses the runtime by stating that no bonus material was available to pad it out.  In any case, Blue Moods suits its length just fine, letting you give your full attention to four beautifully-rendered tunes.  None were penned by the participants, making this a pure exercise in song interpretation.

First up is the slow, crepuscular take on Eden Ahbez's Nature Boy, made famous by Nat King Cole, with Miles' mellifluous tone blowing gentle wisps over the not-too-wet vibraphone setting.  Next is the Broadway number Alone Together, in a great Mingus arrangement - more Mingus next week, btw.  The album's second half pairs the only slightly more upbeat There's No You with the movie standard Easy Living, which completes the hazy after-hours mood.  An absolutely gorgeous little record from start to finish, that deserves much greater recognition in Miles' lengthy discography.

link
pw: sgtg