A great CD set that features incredible material from
John Coltrane – a rare session for Roulette as a split LP with Lee Morgan! The CD features the side of
Coltrane's work – which features him playing with an unusual quartet that includes McCoy Tyner, plus bassist Steven Davis and drummer Billy Higgins. Higgins' gives
Coltrane a modal groove that's incredible, and Trane hits these riffs that are almost Nathan Davis-ish on tracks like "Exotica", presented in 2 versions, plus "Like Sonny" and "One & Four". The CD also features 5 bonus tracks from another rare
Coltrane session from 1958 – one of the only albums ever cut as a leader by Ray Draper, a jazz tuba player, with an approach to the instrument that's a lot better than you might think! Draper plays the tuba like the best baritone saxophonists – using the lower registers of the instrument to groove around in tight step with the basslines, but always still managing to swing – a remarkable feat, given the heaviness of the instrument! Draper's talents were quite respected at the time – both by Jackie McLean, who used him on a record, and by
John Coltrane, who makes a rare appearance here as a sideman on the set! The mixture of
Coltrane's angularity and Draper's bassiness is sublime – and the album's filled with great tracks that have a fresh late 50s modernist hardbop approach. Titles include "Essii"s Dance", "Yesterdays", "Oleo", and "Doxy".
(Out of print.)