Album of the Day

That the blues is more a feeling than a specific style is borne out by John Coltrane's PLAYS THE BLUES. Distilled from the same October 1960 recording sessions that yielded MY FAVORITE THINGS, the Atlantic collection was issued after the saxophonist's departure for Impulse Records when the remarkable quality of its six tracks demanded release. 'Trane soars on tenor and soprano sax here, accompanied by pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis and drummer Elvin Jones (who penned the opening “Blues to Elvin”; all others are Coltrane originals). While less famous than some of the performer's other Atlantic LPs, the reviews of COLTRANE PLAYS THE BLUES are near-unanimous in their praise, and one listen makes it easy to hear why.