Coltrane in the 1950s: Late Bloomer

By Kevin Whitehead, eMusic Contributor

In May 1956, when Sonny Rollins and guest John Coltrane locked horns on the friendly throwdown "Tenor Madness," Coltrane was 29, and Rollins four years his junior. But at this point in their careers, Sonny had the jackrabbit head start. He'd been recording under his own name since 1951, and was much admired; Coltrane hadn't yet made a record of his own. It's easy to forget, sometimes, Coltrane wasn't always lionized; some reviewers of his early… more »