Blue Note John Coltrane Blue Train: A Non-Review Review

Blue Note John Coltrane Blue Train: A Non-Review Review
A clean John Coltrane with a thankfulness for life and the blessing of a second opportunity makes a giant album.

I'm taking advantage of the moment to discuss what I think of John Coltrane's Blue Train. The moment I am taking advantage of is of course the fantastic news that Blue Train Tone Poet mono and stereo is now available and the reviews are coming in. And they are really good! I am not surprised of course. I have been really happy to see so many people like the stereo. I have only heard that version on cd.
The cover of this album always puzzled me. Not because it's not good - it's in fact great! But the thinking John - the intellectual John Coltrane - that we see on the cover in some ways doesn't fit the music. This was my impression as a teenager. The swagger - the even flirty sexiness of some the music does not match the image. But as we know very soon this is image of Coltrane that will match the music - the spiritual and brooding John; that music was just around the corner. And it was glorious.
But let's not take away a moment in time. Jazz progression moved pretty fast back then, but this snapshot was important to me at a special time in my life. I'd like to explain.

The Rev.