01	Like Someone In Love						04:57
	02	I Love You						05:31
	03	Trane's Slo Blues						06:02
	04	Lush Life						13:54
	05	I Hear A Rhapsody						06:00
	06	Lover						07:58
	07	Slowtrane						07:19
	08	By The Numbers						12:01
	09	Come Rain Or Come Shine						08:45

Lush Life - Prestige 7188 (reissue on OJC 131)
The Last Trane - Prestige 7378 (reissue on OJC 394)



Lush Life
Date of Release May 31, 1957 - Jan 10, 1958
Styles Hard Bop


To say that John Coltrane is one of the greatest jazz musicians in the history of the genre is to utter a banal truism, but amid all of the (well-deserved) hubbub over Giant Steps and A Love Supreme, it is extremely edifying to pick up this 1958 effort and hear how well the man could play standards and especially ballads. Assisting him in this worthy endeavor are various combinations of Earl May and Paul Chambers on bass and Louis Hayes, Albert Heath, and Art Taylor on drums. Without a piano supplying much of the harmony of the song, Coltrane is extremely exposed, having to rely upon his own melodic inventiveness to ground his improvisations in both the chords and melody of the tune itself, while simultaneously commenting upon them. It's a difficult task, but one for which Coltrane is uncommonly prepared. Throughout the record, the saxophonist sounds more like Charlie Parker than usual, especially on the terrific "Like Someone in Love," but that doesn't mean that he doesn't get some of his own best licks in as well. Saxophone ballads are rarely more interesting and more beautiful. The Latin groove to "I Love You" is a delight, especially so considering that the rhythm section sounds like it's going to fall apart at any second. The sole deviation from the saxophone trio format features assistance from Red Garland and Donald Byrd on a reading of "Lush Life," which is so perfectly realized that one begins to wonder why successive generations of jazzers still persist in attempting to improve upon it. A perfect track and a perfect album, one well deserving of its classic status. - Daniel Gioffre

1. Like Someone in Love (Burke/VanHeusen) - 5:00
2. I Love You (Porter) - 5:33
3. Trane's Slo Blues (Coltrane) - 6:04
4. Lush Life (Strayhorn) - 13:57
5. I Hear a Rhapsody (Baker/Fragos/Gasparre) - 5:58

Red Garland - Piano
Louis Hayes - Drums
Art Taylor - Drums
Donald Byrd - Trumpet
Paul Chambers - Bass
John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor)
Esmond Edwards - Artwork, Design, Cover Photo
Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer
Joe Goldberg - Liner Notes
Albert "Tootie" Heath - Drums
Earl May - Bass
Bob Weinstock - Supervisor
Earl Chambers
Martin Williams - Liner Notes
Joe Tarantino - Mastering, Digital Remastering
Frank Kofsky - Liner Notes
Arthur Taylor - Drums
Shigeo Miyamoto - Mastering Engineer
Tamaki Beck - Supervisor

2003 CD Prestige 7188
2002 CD Prestige 7188
1997 LP DCC 2032
1997 CD DCC 1108
1991 CS Prestige OJC-5131
1991 CD Prestige OJCCD-131-2
1991 LP Prestige OJC-131
1990 CD Original Jazz Classics 131
CD Original Jazz Classics 131
LP Prestige 7188



The Last Trane
Date of Release Aug 16, 1957 - Mar 26, 1958
Styles Hard Bop

Despite its title (which was due to the original LP containing the last of Prestige's John Coltrane material to be released for the first time), this album does not have Coltrane's final recordings either of his career or for Prestige. These "leftovers" are generally rewarding with an alternate take of "Trane's Slo Blues" (called "Slotrane") being joined by three slightly later numbers ("Lover," "By the Numbers" and "Come Rain or Come Shine") taken from quintet sessions with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and either Louis Hayes or Art Taylor on drums. Enjoyable if not essential hard bop from John Coltrane's productive Prestige period. - Scott Yanow

1. Lover (Hart/Rodgers) - 7:58
2. Slowtrane (Coltrane) - 7:19
3. By the Numbers (Coltrane) - 12:01
4. Come Rain or Come Shine (Arlen/Mercer) - 8:43

Red Garland - Piano
Louis Hayes - Drums
Art Taylor - Drums
Donald Byrd - Trumpet
Paul Chambers - Bass
John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor)
Phil DeLancie - Mastering, Digital Remastering
Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer
Earl May - Bass
Bob Weinstock - Supervisor
Jack McKinney - Liner Notes

1995 LP Prestige 7378
1992 CS Prestige/OJC OJC-5394
1992 CD Prestige/OJC OJCCD-394-2
1992 LP Prestige/OJC OJC-394
CD Prestige/OJC 394
LP Prestige 7378
Prestige 7378