John Coltrane
Blue Train

while all the children wake up very excited about the mountains of sweets they will devour, I was equally excited, but for a different reason. My father, a great connoisseur of what can truly be called "real music," found an authentic gem for me in the world jazz panorama: John Coltrane - "Blue train" + "Traneing In" + "Dakar" digitally remastered. Of the three, the one I would like to talk about is the first one.

For those who do not know the apparently (and I emphasize apparently) melancholic rhythm of Coltrane, listening to this album for the first time is a highly rewarding experience. It starts with low tones, at times a bit muted, which gradually transform into an irresistible rhythm; I chose this word precisely because, especially during Coltrane's tenor sax solos, listening to it while remaining physically still is truly impossible. You almost immediately feel the need to accompany this jazz with rhythmic movements of your own body. The album is very fluid, it is enjoyable to listen to from beginning to end, for all 42 minutes. 

Released in 1957, it was, as he himself declared in an interview, his favorite album. The record was then digitally remastered in '90, and it has been and still is a great source of inspiration for both small and big Jazz musicians who followed. The first track is indeed Blue Train, in which Coltrane performs one of the best solos ever achieved in his career. It is followed by Moment's Notice with a more decisive rhythm, dominated by Kenny Drew's piano, Locomotion, I'm Old Fashioned (the only track on the album not composed by Coltrane, but by Kern and Mercer, two great composers of the time), and Lazy Bird. Besides John, there are five other jazz musicians forming a very effective sextet, both in phrases where the instruments are perfectly harmonized and in the solos which are the most enjoyable parts of the various tracks. You do not perceive one musician prevailing over the others, but in this album, there is the perfect fusion of the six basic Jazz instruments.

Listening to this CD was very interesting for me, as it sparked my curiosity towards this genre that nowadays often gives space to other types of music. In the edition I received as a gift, there were also two other Coltrane albums, but Blue Train is undoubtedly one of the greatest works by one of the most eclectic Jazz musicians of our time. Highly recommended for everyone.