The retro chic of vinyl (this package of John Coltrane’s pivotal sessions for Atlantic in 1959-60 is released as seven vinyl discs or six CDs) seems now to be joined by an appeal to the marketability of stone-age mono recording. But the main attraction of this glitzy set is the documentation of a fascinating period in the great saxophonist’s development, before the formation of his trailblazing 1960s quartet. Giant Steps, with its hurtling chord-storm of a title track and a raft of enduring compositions, including the exquisite ballad Naima and the postbop-blues Mr PC, is naturally the standout album. But there’s a tradition-rooted directness to the meeting with vibraphonist Milt Jackson, the new-minted relationship with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones is intriguingly traced on Coltrane Plays the Blues, and the encounter with Ornette Coleman’s rhythm section and quirkily effervescent trumpeter Don Cherry on The Avant-Garde is a riot. Atmospheric Lee Friedlander photos, and authoritative enthusiasm from liner-note writer Ashley Kahn round out a formidable collector’s item.
