The Last Giant: The John Coltrane Anthology Tracks
1. Hot House [Jam Session]
2. Good Groove [Live][#]
3. We Love to Boogie
4. Bittersweet
5. Through for the Night [#]
6. Trane's Blues
7. While My Lady Sleeps
8. Trinkle, Tinkle
9. Blue Train
10. Russian Lullaby
11. My Favorite Things
12. Central Park West
13. Body and Soul
14. Equinox
15. Cousin Mary
16. Giant Steps
17. Naima
18. My Favorite Things [Live][#]
19. Ogunde [#]
The Last Giant: The John Coltrane Anthology Review
John Coltrane recorded far too much landmark jazz for it ever to fit on just two CDs, but this set is a good introduction to the arc of his career. The set begins with an unreleased '46 jam session from Coltrane's days in the navy; it continues with examples of his sideman work for Dizzy Gillespie, Gay Crosse, Johnny Hodges, Red Garland, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk. Coltrane finally steps forward as a major composer and bandleader with 1957's Blue Train for Blue Note Records. The box set then presents seven of his classic 1959-'60 recordings for Atlantic, including "Giant Steps," "Naima," and "Central Park West," before concluding with two unreleased live performances, including a 25-minute version of "My Favorite Things." The Last Giant doesn't include any tracks from the Columbia or Impulse labels, but it's still the best introduction to 'Trane available. --Geoffrey Himes
