this is great album from John's musical career in the late 50's. the title cut is a classic as well as "Moment's Notice" which is one of my favorite Coltrane songs ever. love that melody.

This is not a standard CD. It's a special CD with copy protection that may not work properly in your computer.

John Coltrane in his prime couldn't have put out anything bad if he tried. While 1957's Blue Train (the only Coltrane release on Blue Note) isn't as innovative as Giant Steps or A Love Supreme, it's so chock-full of jazz standards and absolutely gorgeous ensemble playing that you'd be a fool to care. The best of his pre-Tyner/Garrison/Jones work, in my opinion. It's in a similar "cool" vein to Kind Of Blue, but better and more accessible in my opinion--it's less downtempo, and "swings" more. Of course both are classics, and should be bought in conjunction with each other.

The intro of the title track is instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with post-bop jazz; it contains wonderfully melodic, adventurous solos from the master himself, and you'd wish it lasted longer than 10 minutes. Moment's Notice and Locomotion swing like a mofo, with some great work by Lee Morgan and Curtis Fuller on trumpet and trombone, respectively. Lazy Bird and I'm Old Fashioned are sublime ballads--Morgan especially shines on the latter. You can tell the band was actually having fun on this release, playing off each other with the kind of chemistry only a studio full of virtuosos could ever have. And just think: Coltrane was only warming up.

This version contains a little video clip of a Coltrane interview that you can view on your PC, and extra takes of the title track and Lazy Bird. The definitive version to own, and essential to those whose jazz horizons extend beyond "easy listening."