Music Appreciation
Related: About this forumJazz Deconstructed: What Makes John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" So Groundbreaking and Radical?
His immense popularity makes Coltranes accomplishments all the more impressive. While 1959 is often cited as the year that changed jazz with a series of landmark albums, two releases by Coltrane in 1960My Favorite Things and Giant Stepscompletely radicalized the form, with repercussions far outside the jazz world. In the latter recording, writes Planer, Coltrane was in essence, beginning to rewrite the jazz canon with material that would be centered on solosthe 180-degree antithesis of the art form up to that point. These arrangements would create a place for the solo to become infinitely more compelling, culminating in a frenetic performance style that noted jazz journalist Ira Gitler dubbed sheets of sound.
http://www.openculture.com/2018/11/jazz-deconstructed-makes-john-coltranes-giant-steps-groundbreaking-radical.html
pangaia
(24,324 posts)At Village Gate? or Vanguard maybe? or both?
JHan
(10,173 posts)what I'd give to see him live.
Kind of Blue
(8,709 posts)panader0
(25,816 posts)JHan
(10,173 posts)PJMcK
(22,048 posts)Trying to navigate the "Coltrane Changes" in tempo while creatively improvising is exceedingly difficult requiring masterful musicianship.
Additionally, the chromaticism of "Giant Steps" means that you'll play all twelve notes in each octave. It's extremely hard to do while maintaining musical consistency.
It's also totally cool.
But Ive embarrassed myself several times trying to make it work.
Nope. Its beyond me!
klook
(12,166 posts)We should note that Tommy Flanagan was no slouch. I don't know how many pianists of the era could have nailed "Giant Steps" the first time around!
Here's a taste:
ProfessorGAC
(65,168 posts). . .i could imagine the same thing being said about Monk.
Maybe not the "sheets of sound" part because there was a lot of giant spaces in Monk's stuff, but a lot of what the author says seems like it could be written about him, too.