Early Trane: The John Coltrane Songbook

Apart from Miles Davis, the late saxophonist John Coltrane was arguably the most influential jazz musician post-1960, both in the jazz sphere and well beyond it. While Coltrane's groundbreaking approach to the saxophone made history, he also had a considerable impact as a composer whose tunes are played by jazz musicians far and wide. Volume two of EARLY TRANE is a fine collection of Trane's works as covered by a variety of bebop and post-bop artists, both the established (Larry Coryell, Frank Morgan) and some young lions (the burning-cool organist Mike Ledonne, the fiery saxophonist Vincent Herring). Former Ray Charles tenor specialist David Newman essays the lovely ballad "Naima" and the tart, adventurous alto of Arthur Blythe takes "Cousin Mary" for a blustery ride.