View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.5 (465 ratings)
- Date Released: May 31, 1957
- Genre: Jazz
- Style: Bebop, Classic Jazz
- Label: Fantasy / Prestige
As classic as it gets.
-
We Say...
John Coltrane established himself as a solo artist with a prolific series of recordings in 1957 and ’58, yet the sessions comprising Lush Life still stand out amid this creative torrent for a couple of reasons. Because Red Garland failed to show up at the studio, the first three tracks put Trane in the relatively rare context of a piano-less trio, and bassist Earl May’s judicious style provides further elbow room for the lyrical gushes of sax on the love songs and the blues — soulful yet quicksilver phrases demarcated by rhythmic eddies and reveries.
But most of all this collection is renowned for Coltrane’s ability (abetted by a full quintet here) to vividly convey both the grandeur and the intimacy of “Lush Life,” during his 14-minute treatment of Billy Strayhorn’s classic composition. His emotional discernment and restraint enhance the poignant turns-of-phrase, an acute sensibility perhaps indebted to his own struggles with drug addiction at the time. But “Lush Life” is hardly a solo triumph: both arco and pizzicato, this is one of bassist’s Paul Chambers’ more noteworthy accompaniments, and Garland’s lengthy piano solo nourished his reputation as a master of silky ballads. The disc closes with the nascent, relatively pacific, hard bop of “I Hear a Rhapsody.” -
They Say...
Lush Life (1958) is among John Coltrane's best endeavors on the Prestige label. One reason can easily be attributed to the interesting personnel and the subsequent lack of a keyboard player for the August 16, 1957 session that yielded the majority of the material. Coltrane (tenor sax) had to essentially lead the compact trio of himself, Earl May (bass), and Art Taylor (drums). The intimate setting is perfect for ballads such as the opener "Like Someone in Love." Coltrane doesn't have to supplement the frequent redundancy inherent in pianists, so he has plenty of room to express himself through simple and ornate passages. Unifying the slippery syncopation and slightly Eastern feel of "I Love You" is the tenor's prevalent capacity for flawless, if not downright inspired on-the-spot "head" arrangements that emerge singular and clear, never sounding preconceived. Even at an accelerated pace, the rhythm section ably prods the backbeat without interfering. A careful comparison will reveal that "Trane's Slo Blues" is actually a fairly evident derivation (or possibly a different take) of "Slowtrane." But don't let the title fool you as the mid-tempo blues is undergirded by a lightheartedness. May provides a platform for Coltrane's even keeled runs before the tenor drops out, allowing both May and then Taylor a chance to shine. The fun cat-and-mouse-like antics continue as Taylor can be heard encouraging the tenor player to raise the stakes and the tempo -- which he does to great effect. The practically quarter-hour reading of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" is not only the focal point of this album, it is rightfully considered as one of Coltrane's unqualified masterworks. The performance hails from January 10, 1958 as Coltrane sits in with Red Garland (piano), Donald Byrd (trumpet), Paul Chambers (bass), and Louis Hayes (drums). Coltrane handles the tune's delicate complexities with infinite style and finesse. Garland similarly sparkles at the 88s, while Byrd's solo offers a bit of a tonal alternative. It should be noted that the reading here does not include a vocal from Johnny Hartman. That version can be found on the ever imaginatively monikered John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (1963).
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 5 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 5 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
Like Someone in Love |
5:00 |
|
| 02. | |
I Love You |
5:33 |
|
| 03. | |
Trane's Slo Blues |
6:05 |
|
| 04. | |
Lush Life |
14:00 |
|
| 05. | |
I Hear a Rhapsody |
6:01 |
|
05 Total Tracks, 36:39 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like John Coltrane, check out these member playlists
Credits
- Red Garland - Piano // Red Garland - Piano // Red Garland - Piano // Red Garland - Piano // Red Garland - Piano // Red Garland - Piano // Louis Hayes - Drums // Louis Hayes - Drums // Louis Hayes - Drums // Louis Hayes - Drums // Art Taylor - Drums // Donald Byrd - Trumpet // Donald Byrd - Trumpet // Paul Chambers - Bass // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // John Coltrane - Main Performer // Esmond Edwards - Artwork // Esmond Edwards - Design // Esmond Edwards - Cover Photo // Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer // Rudy Van Gelder - Author // Rudy Van Gelder - Remastering // Joe Goldberg - Liner Notes // Albert "Tootie" Heath - Drums // Earl May - Bass // Nick Phillips - Reissue Producer // Bob Weinstock - Supervisor // Earl Chambers - ? // Martin Williams - Liner Notes // Joe Tarantino - Mastering // Joe Tarantino - Digital Remastering // Frank Kofsky - Liner Notes // Shigeo Miyamoto - Mastering Engineer // Stuart Kremsky - Reissue Production Assistance // Tamaki Beck - Supervisor
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC