My Favorite Things (album)
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| My Favorite Things | |||||
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| Studio album by John Coltrane | |||||
| Released | 1961 | ||||
| Recorded | October 21 - October 26, 1960 | ||||
| Genre | Jazz, Modal Jazz | ||||
| Length | 40:42 | ||||
| Label | Atlantic Records | ||||
| Producer | Nesuhi Ertegün | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| John Coltrane chronology | |||||
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My Favorite Things is a 1961 jazz album by John Coltrane. It is considered by many jazz critics and listeners to be a highly significant and historic recording. It was the first session recorded by Coltrane on the Atlantic label, the first to introduce his new quartet featuring McCoy Tyner (Piano), Elvin Jones (Drums) and Steve Davis (Bass) - neither Jimmy Garrison nor Reggie Workman featured as yet.
It is classed as another album in which Coltrane made a break free of bop, introducing complex harmonic reworkings of such songs as "My Favorite Things", and "But Not For Me". Additionally, at a time when the soprano saxophone was considered obsolete, it demonstrated Coltrane's further investigation of the instrument's capabilities in a jazz idiom.
The standard "Summertime" is notable for its upbeat, searching feel, a demonstration of Coltrane's 'sheets of sound', a stark antithesis to Miles Davis's melancholy, lyrical version on Porgy and Bess. "But Not For Me" is reharmonised using the famous Coltrane changes, and features an extended coda over a repeated ii-V-I-vi progression.
The title track is a modal rendition of the Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein's seminal song My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. The melody is heard numerous times throughout the almost 14-minute version, and instead of soloing over the written chord changes, both Tyner and Coltrane taking extended solos over vamps of the two tonic chords, E minor and E major. Tyner's solo is famous for being extremely chordal and rhythmic, as opposed to developing melodies. In the documentary The World According to John Coltrane, narrator Ed Wheeler remarks:
"In 1960, Coltrane left Miles [Davis] and formed his own quartet to further explore modal playing, freer directions, and a growing Indian influence. They transformed "My Favorite Things", the cheerful populist song from 'The Sound of Music,' into a hypnotic eastern dervish dance. The recording was a hit and became Coltrane's most requested tune—an abridged broad public acceptance."
A cover of the title track appeared on the OutKast album The Love Below.
[edit] Track listing
- "My Favorite Things" (Richard Rodgers) — 13:41
- "Everytime We Say Goodbye" (Cole Porter) — 5:39
- "Summertime" (George Gershwin) — 11:31
- "But Not for Me" (Gershwin) — 9:34
[edit] Personnel
Recorded October 21, October 24 and October 26, 1960 in New York City.
- John Coltrane — soprano saxophone (1 & 2), tenor saxophone (tracks 3 & 4)
- McCoy Tyner — piano
- Steve Davis — bass
- Elvin Jones — drums
[edit] External links
- "John Coltrane, Avant Garde Jazz, and the Evolution of "My Favorite Things" — A thesis paper with musical analysis
