Part of a slightly frivolous sampler series that features various jazz musicians and vocalists playing or singing the blues, Blue Trane: John Coltrane Plays the Blues has six selections taken from tenor saxophonist John Coltrane’s Prestige recordings. Each of the numbers (“Slowtrane,” “Traneing In,” “Billie’s Bounce,” “The Real McCoy,” “Big Paul” and “Sweet Sapphire Blues”) comes from a different session, including one (“The Real McCoy”) featuring Coltrane on alto with Gene Ammons. All of the music (which also has pianists Red Garland and Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Kenny Burrell and trumpeter Donald Byrd in the supporting cast) is excellent, but more serious collectors will want to acquire the complete sessions (which are readily available) instead. – Scott Yanow