5 Things to Know About John Coltrane’s 1956 Sessions
- These sessions capture Coltrane in transition between his swing-influenced style and the adventurous approach he’d later develop with Miles Davis.
- His playing still shows strong roots in the swing tradition, with clear phrasing and rhythmic stability.
- You can hear him beginning to push harmonic boundaries, hinting at the sheets of sound technique to come.
- The recordings are a snapshot of an artist on the verge of a major stylistic shift, not yet fully committed to either style.
- For listeners, they offer a rare look at Coltrane’s evolution before his landmark work with Davis and his own classic albums.