Saturday 19th September 2026, 5:00 PM – House of Hard Bop.
In the spring of 1960, Coltrane left the Miles Davis Quintet to strike out on his own. We follow him on this journey. In 1960, Atlantic Records produced three albums: *My Favorite Things*, *Coltrane Jazz*, and *Coltrane Plays the Blues*. In his new quartet, he was surrounded by pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis, and drummer Elvin Jones. Tyner and Jones would remain with him for years. And alongside the leadership role and the lineup, there was yet another new factor: the soprano saxophone! Earlier that year (1960), while in Paris with the Miles Davis Quintet, Coltrane had been given a soprano saxophone as a gift—by Davis. (Foresight?) The instrument—rarely played in jazz at the time, yet possessing a unique tonal character and set of possibilities—immediately intrigued him. Months of study and experimentation followed, including on stage. By the time he entered the studio in October, he was fully prepared.
My Favorite Things
Coltrane had already been playing the album’s title track—a song from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical *The Sound of Music*—for months, a practice he continued even after this recording. The melody remained intact, but the chords gave way to modally colored harmonies over a continuous tonic note of E. This was a radical departure that dismantled the piece’s traditional “form.” The constant repetition created a “meditative” atmosphere—a foundation upon which Coltrane could explore his new ideas regarding melodic improvisation.
This 14-minute track turned the LP into both an artistic and a commercial success. As Coltrane himself said of *My Favorite Things*: “My favorite piece of all those I have recorded.”
Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
This composition by Cole Porter is also a standard from the Great American Songbook. A cooling-down period after the previous track. A slow tempo. And bassist Steve Davis, following the repeated E of the previous piece, can once again map out his paths through the chord progression.
Summertime
Indeed—every track on this album is a standard. The last two are by Gershwin. Yet, right from the first four bars, we hear Coltrane’s own twist: augmented chords and the corresponding whole-tone scale. It sounds ethereal and dreamy, while generating tension. These elements keep recurring within the cyclical form. Coltrane is on tenor sax here. Drummer Elvin Jones steps into the foreground significantly on this track. Displaying his characteristic style—which he would develop further later on—he also takes a solo turn. An engaging interplay between drums and bass follows.
But Not for Me
Here, too, we hear unconventional harmonies in the opening bars. And even a distinctive, idiosyncratic note within the theme itself…
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Village Blues
An original Coltrane composition from the album *Coltrane Jazz*. Melodically, the piece is simple—the blues form takes the lead.
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Coltrane Plays the Blues
This is not a concept album, but a collection of blues tracks compiled by Atlantic. “Blues to Bechet” is dedicated to soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet (1897–1959). It features a trio lineup without piano, placing a sharper spotlight on the horn player—here on soprano sax. He alternates short, simple phrases with rhythmic bursts in the upper register. Bassist Steve Davis remains unshakeable in his four-to-the-bar pulse; drummer Elvin Jones moves and accents, gradually increasing the volume towards the end. There is a surprising moment of unison between bass and sax in the closing phrase. After the previous track, “Mr. Syms” demonstrates the variety possible within the blues genre. Coltrane sticks with his soprano – pianist McCoy Tyner is back on board.
House of Hard Bop – Eric Ineke
