In celebration of the centennial of John Coltrane, Craft Recordings returns to the very beginnings of one of jazz’s most transformative voices. The Best of John Coltrane gathers defining recordings from the saxophonist’s foundational 1957–1958 period—sessions that captured Coltrane in rapid artistic ascent as he forged the improvisational approach that would come to be known as “Sheets of Sound.”
Drawing from originals and standards recorded during his earliest years as a leader, the collection offers a focused entry point into Coltrane’s catalog while spotlighting the music that helped establish his reputation as an innovative force in modern jazz.
Arriving March 13, the collection is available exclusively on vinyl. In addition to a classic black pressing, The Best of John Coltrane is offered in two limited-edition variants: a Baby Blue LP (Books-A-Million exclusive) and a Violet LP (Barnes & Noble exclusive).
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THE FOUNDATIONS OF A VOICE
By the mid-1950s, John Coltrane had already built a formidable résumé as a sideman, performing alongside artists such as Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis. In 1957, he stepped fully into the spotlight, signing with Prestige Records and beginning a prolific run of recordings as a leader.
Captured primarily at Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack Studio between 1957 and 1958, these sessions document a period of rapid evolution. Coltrane’s playing is dense, urgent, and searching—marked by the cascading runs and harmonic intensity that defined his “Sheets of Sound” style. These recordings would form the backbone of several albums released over the following years, laying the groundwork for his later, more expansive explorations.
The recordings, which resulted in several years’ worth of albums, included some of the saxophonist’s earliest compositions on record.
LISTENING NOTES
• “Traneing In” — One of John Coltrane’s earliest compositions on record, this bluesy original pairs him with former Miles Davis Quintet bandmates: pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor.
• “Theme for Ernie” — A moving ballad written by Fred Lacey in memory of saxophonist Ernie Henry, featuring the same Garland, Chambers, and Taylor all-star line-up.
• “Trinkle, Tinkle” — Captured during Coltrane’s celebrated collaboration with Thelonious Monk, this angular composition finds him navigating Monk’s rhythmic and harmonic challenges alongside bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Shadow Wilson.
• “I Hear a Rhapsody” — A familiar Great American Songbook standard reshaped through Coltrane’s rapid articulation and harmonic drive, balancing invention with clarity. Featuring Garland, Chambers, and drummer Albert Heath.
• “I Love You” — Cole Porter’s classic delivered with forward momentum, performed with Taylor and bassist Earl May.
• “Lover Come Back to Me” — A Romberg/Hammerstein standard performed by Garland, Chambers, Taylor, and trumpeter Donald Byrd, from Coltrane’s 1964 album, Black Pearls.
A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
By the turn of the ’60s, the virtuosic musician was already shifting his approach—moving away from the densely packed “Sheets of Sound” style and toward the more open, exploratory language of modal improvisation. Yet these early sessions remain an essential chapter in Coltrane’s artistic evolution, capturing the innovative artist on the cusp of fame, while laying the groundwork for the revolutionary work that followed.
Released in tandem with the 100th anniversary of his birth (September 23, 1926), The Best of John Coltrane honors an artist whose influence continues to shape jazz and modern music at large.
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