1960 studio album by John Coltrane
Giant Steps jazz musicianJohn Coltrane . It was released in February 1960 throughAtlantic Records .[ 1] [ 2] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] Library of Congress to be added to theNational Recording Registry . It attained gold record status in 2018, having sold 500,000 copies.[ 7]
Two tracks, "Naima " and "Syeeda's Song Flute", are respectively named after Coltrane's wife at the time and her daughter, whom he adopted. A third, "Mr. P.C. ", takes its name from the initials of bassistPaul Chambers , who played on the album. A fourth, "Cousin Mary", is named in honor of Mary Lyerly, Coltrane's younger cousin.
In 1959,Miles Davis 's business manager Harold Lovett negotiated arecord contract for Coltrane with Atlantic, the terms of which included a $7,000 annual guarantee (equivalent to $75,506 in 2024).[ 8] Milt Jackson , took place on March 26, 1959.[ 9] Cedar Walton andLex Humphries , and hence they were not used for the album,[ 10] Kind of Blue [ 11] Naima " was recorded on December 2 with Coltrane's bandmates, the rhythm section from theMiles Davis Quintet , who would provide the backing for most of his next album,Coltrane Jazz [ 12]
Coltrane's improvisation exemplifies the melodic phrasing that came to be known assheets of sound , and features his explorations into third-related chord movements that came to be known asColtrane changes .[ 13] Giant Steps chord progression consists of a distinctive set of chords that create key centers a major third apart. Jazz musicians ever since have used it as a practice piece, its difficult chord changes presenting a "kind of ultimate harmonic challenge", and serving as a gateway into modern jazz improvisation. Several pieces on this album went on to becomejazz standards , most prominently "Naima" and "Giant Steps ".[ 10] [ 14]
Reception and legacy [ edit ] The Penguin Guide to Jazz [ 22] Rolling Stone The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ,[ 23] [ 24] [ 25]
In 2000 it was voted number 764 inColin Larkin 'sAll Time Top 1000 Albums [ 26]
On March 3, 1998,Rhino Records reissuedGiant Steps as part of its Atlantic 50th Anniversary Jazz Gallery series. Included were eightbonus tracks , five of which had appeared in 1975 on the Atlantic compilationAlternate Takes The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings
Side one No. Title Date recorded Length 1. "Giant Steps " May 5, 1959 4:43 2. "Cousin Mary" May 5, 1959 5:45 3. "Countdown " May 4, 1959 2:21 4. "Spiral" May 4, 1959 5:56
Side two No. Title Date recorded Length 5. "Syeeda's Song Flute" May 5, 1959 7:00 6. "Naima " December 2, 1959 4:21 7. "Mr. P.C. " May 5, 1959 6:57
1987 CD reissue bonus tracks No. Title Date recorded Length 8. "Giant Steps" (alternate version 1) March 26, 1959 3:41 9. "Naima" (alternate version 1) March 26, 1959 4:27 10. "Cousin Mary" (alternate take) May 5, 1959 5:54 11. "Countdown" (alternate take) May 4, 1959 4:33 12. "Syeeda's Song Flute" (alternate take) May 5, 1959 7:02
1998 CD reissue additional bonus tracks No. Title Date recorded Length 13. "Giant Steps" (alternate version 2) March 26, 1959 3:32 14. "Naima" (alternate version 2) March 26, 1959 3:37 15. "Giant Steps" (alternate take) May 5, 1959 5:00
Thursday, March 26, 1959 (Tracks 8, 9, 13, 14)[ 27]
Monday, May 4, 1959 (Tracks 3, 4, 11) & Tuesday, May 5, 1959 (Tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 15)
Wednesday, December 2, 1959 (Track 6)
1960 – Atlantic Records SD 1311, vinyl record 1987 – Atlantic Records, first generation compact disc 1994 –Mobile Fidelity Gold CD 1998 – Rhino Records R2 75203, Deluxe Edition compact disc and 180-gram vinyl record 2020 – Atlantic Records R2 625106/603497848393, 60 Years Deluxe Edition, 2 CDs (Remastered Album + Outtakes) ^a b Ostrow, Marty; Howard, Ira, eds. (January 23, 1960)."New Darin Album" (PDF) .The Cash Box Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2023. ^a b Ostrow, Marty; Howard, Ira, eds. (February 13, 1960)."February Album Releases" (PDF) .The Cash Box Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2023. ^ Atlantic Masters CD Edition Liner Notes, 1998 ^ DeVito, Chris; Fujioka, Yasuhiro; Schmaler, Wolf; Wild, David (2013).Porter, Lewis (ed.).The John Coltrane Reference Routledge . p. 564.ISBN 9780415634632 . RetrievedJanuary 2, 2020 . ^ Ben Ratliff.Coltrane: The Story of A Sound . New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; 2007.ISBN 978-0-374-12606-3 . pp. 53-54. ^ Lewis Porter .John Coltrane: His Life and Music .Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan Press, 1999.ISBN 0-472-10161-7 , p. 145.^ "What's News".The New York City Jazz Record ^ Lewis Porter .John Coltrane: His Life and Music .Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan Press, 1999.ISBN 0-472-10161-7 , pp. 117-8.^ Porter, p. 145, pp. 359-60. ^a b Nisenson, Eric (2009).Ascension: John Coltrane and his Quest . New York:Hachette Books . p. 171.ISBN 9780786750955 ^ Porter, p. 360. ^ Giant Steps. Atlantic R2 75203,liner notes , p. 18.^ Porter, pp. 145-148 ^ "Giant Steps (1959)" .JazzStandards.com .Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. RetrievedJune 18, 2019 .^ Allmusic review ^ Gleason, Ralph J. (March 31, 1960). "John Coltrane:Giant Steps ".DownBeat ^ Larkin, Colin (2007).Encyclopedia of Popular Music Oxford University Press .ISBN 978-0195313734 ^ "Penguin Guide to Jazz review" . Archived fromthe original on September 14, 2017. RetrievedJune 18, 2009 .^ Rolling Stone review ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985).The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide . US: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 46.ISBN 0-394-72643-X ^ "Virgin Encyclopedia review" . Archived fromthe original on September 14, 2017. RetrievedJune 18, 2009 .^ Cook, Richard ;Brian Morton (2006) [1992]."John Coltrane" The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings .The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th. ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 269 .ISBN 0-14-102327-9 ^ "102) Giant Steps" .Rolling Stone the original on March 22, 2009. RetrievedApril 26, 2013 .^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time" .Rolling Stone . RetrievedSeptember 19, 2019 .^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" .Rolling Stone . September 22, 2020. RetrievedAugust 26, 2021 .^ Larkin, Colin (2000).All Time Top 1000 Albums Virgin Books . p. 241.ISBN 0-7535-0493-6 ^ Atlantic Masters Edition CD Liner Notes 1998
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, except where noted.
Albums WithPepper WithKenny WithJohn WithArt WithElla WithCurtis WithColeman WithMilt WithJ.J. WithSonny With Tentets Franco Ambrosetti , 1985)Boss Tenor Gene Ammons , 1960)Big Brass Benny Bailey , 1960)Bash! Dave Bailey , 1961)Who Is Gary Burton? Gary Burton , 1962)Jazz Lab Donald Byrd , 1957)Carter, Gillespie Inc. Benny Carter andDizzy Gillespie , 1976)Paul Chambers Quintet More Party Time Arnett Cobb , 1960)Movin' Right Along Rhythm in Mind Steve Coleman , 1991)Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool) Sonny Criss , 1968)Straight Ahead Collectors' Items Miles Davis , 1956)Quiet Kenny Kenny Dorham , 1959)The Kenny Dorham Memorial Album Opening Remarks Ted Dunbar , 1978)Patented by Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison , 1960)The Book Cooks Booker Ervin , 1960)The Song Book Chromatic Palette Tal Farlow , 1981)The Dizzy Gillespie Big 7 Gettin' with It Benny Golson , 1959)Free The Panther! Dexter Gordon , 1970)The Swingin'est Bennie Green and Gene Ammons, 1958)Grey's Mood Al Grey , 1973–75)It's About Time Jimmy Hamilton , 1961)Can't Help Swinging Drum Suite Slide Hampton , 1962)Out of the Afternoon Roy Haynes andRoland Kirk , 1962)Really Big! Jimmy Heath , 1960)New Picture Porgy & Bess Joe Henderson , released 1997)The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard Mirage Bobby Hutcherson , 1991)Bossa Nova Plus Willis Jackson , 1962)Desert Winds Illinois Jacquet , 1962)Budd Johnson and the Four Brass Giants Let's Swing! Budd Johnson , 1960)Heart to Heart Elvin Jones , 1980)Blues for Dracula Philly Joe Jones , 1958)Detroit – New York Junction Thad Jones , 1956)Mad Thad A Story Tale Clifford Jordan andSonny Red , 1961)The Adventurer Booker Little 4 and Max Roach Booker Little Vocalese The Manhattan Transfer , 1985)Flute Flight Herbie Mann andBobby Jaspar , 1957)Flute Soufflé Dusty Blue Howard McGhee , 1960)Reincarnation of a Lovebird Charles Mingus , 1960)De Lawd's Blues Billy Mitchell , 1980)Smooth as the Wind Blue Mitchell , 1960–61)The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery Jeru Gerry Mulligan , 1962)Jive at Five Joe Newman , 1960)Good 'n' Groovy Frank Foster , 1960)Joe's Hap'nin's Straight Life Art Pepper , 1979)The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Limbo Carnival Dave Pike , 1962)Dave Pike Plays the Jazz Version of Oliver! Pony's Express Pony Poindexter , 1962)Keep Swingin' Julian Priester , 1960)Wisteria Jimmy Raney , 1985)Swingin' with Pee Wee Pee Wee Russell , 1960)Stable Mates A. K. Salim , 1957)Here Comes Louis Smith Louis Smith , 1958)Roots Idrees Sulieman , 1957)Tate-a-Tate Buddy Tate , 1960)Color Changes Clark Terry , 1960)Lucky Thompson Plays Happy Days Are Here Again Stan "The Man" Turrentine ZT's Blues Stanley Turrentine , 1961)The Frank Wess Quartet Southern Comfort Frank Wess , 1962)California Soul Gerald Wilson , 1968)Pairing Off Phil Woods , 1956)Rights of Swing
Year(s) indicated are for the recording(s), not first release.
As AsArt Blakey The Jazz WithArt Farmer Benny The Jazztet WithEddie Harris WithBilly Higgins WithMilt Jackson WithEtta James WithClifford WithBlue WithHouston With God Bless Jug and Sonny Gene Ammons &Sonny Stitt , 1973)Left Bank Encores Something for Lester Ray Brown , 1977)Slow Drag Donald Byrd , 1967)The Almoravid Joe Chambers , 1971–73)Somethin's Cookin' Junior Cook , 1981)Broken Shadows Ornette Coleman , 1971–72)Katumbo (Dance) Giant Steps John Coltrane , 1959)Up, Up and Away Sonny Criss , 1967)The Beat Goes On! This Is the Moment! Kenny Dorham , 1958)Blue Spring Cannonball Adderley , 1959)It's All Right! Teddy Edwards , 1967)Soul Trombone Curtis Fuller , 1961)Smokin' Tangerine Dexter Gordon , 1972)Generation Bush Dance Johnny Griffin , 1978)Roots Slide Hampton , 1985)The Quota Jimmy Heath , 1961)Triple Threat Mode for Joe Joe Henderson , 1966)Hub Cap Freddie Hubbard , 1961)Here to Stay The Body & the Soul Bolivia Highway One Bobby Hutcherson , 1978)Farewell Keystone Really Livin' J.J. Johnson , 1959)J.J. Inc. Save Your Love for Me Etta Jones , 1986)Advance! Philly Joe Jones , 1978)Drum Song Seven Minds Sam Jones , 1974)Something in Common First Class Kloss! Eric Kloss , 1967)Abbey Is Blue Abbey Lincoln , 1959)Strings! Pat Martino , 1967)From This Moment On! Charles McPherson , 1968)Horizons Caramba! Lee Morgan , 1968)The Sixth Sense The Mode Sonny Red , 1961)Sonny Red Setting Standards Woody Shaw , 1983)For Losers Archie Shepp , 1968–69)Kwanza Now Is the Time Idrees Sulieman , 1976)Goodbye Yesterday Lucky Thompson , 1972)Concert: Friday the 13th – Cook County Jail I Offer You Another Story Stanley Turrentine , 1969)Up Front David Williams , 1986)
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