Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”

Overview

In this section, we will focus on the late 1950s and early 1960s to learn more about Miles Davis and two of his most influential sidemen: Bill Evans and John Coltrane. We will consider the significance of Davis' musical compositions and those of his fellow musicians, and examine how their works continue to impact jazz even to the present day.

Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to do the following:

Identify many of the contributions of Miles Davis to jazz
Define modal jazz
Recognize the contributions of Bill Evans to jazz—most especially to jazz piano
Recognize the contributions of the members of Bill Evans’ most celebrated trio
Recognize the contributions of John Coltrane as saxophonist, composer and bandleader
Recognize the contributions of the members of John Coltrane’s classic quartet

Giant Steps

Two months after his recording date with Davis, Coltrane returned to the studio with his own quartet, recording the milestone track Giant Steps ♫. This piece, which became the title track for his album, presented a very different style from the recently completed Davis project.

In Giant Steps ♫, Coltrane pursues the implications of the Parker-Gillespie model of chord-based improvisation, unleashing a flurry of notes over a rapidly changing — and unusual — progression of chords. What follows are some highlights of the track:

Tommy Flanagan

The headA synonym for melody. is a relatively uncomplicated series of notes that flow with the chord changes, giving the listener an opportunity to hear the progression with little interference.
The chorus is really a 16-bar phrase, but it's played through twice, creating a 32-bar form (A A) that frames the improvisations at beginning and end.
The tempo exceeds 240 beats per minute but is smoothly driven by bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor.

Coltrane solos almost all the way through Giant Steps ♫, breaking only for a brief turn from pianist Tommy Flanagan, who sounds as though he's having trouble matching the intensity and precision of the tenorist.

Listen now to John Coltrane's Giant Steps ♫.

John Coltrane, Giant Steps ♫ (John Coltrane), New York, May 4 or 5, 1959. John Coltrane, tenor saxophone (ts); Tommy Flanagan, piano (p); Paul Chambers, bass (b); Art Taylor, drums (d).

"My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being...When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups...I want to speak to their souls."

-John Coltrane

"It's the honesty you apply to your playing that makes music enjoyable. The style of the music has little to do with it. It's only honesty makes it beautiful."

-Elvin Jones

Rolling Stone rated Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" 12th of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, calling it "one of the most important, influential and popular albums in jazz"

Rolling Stone