Jazz LP JOHN COLTRANE “Lush Life” PRESTIGE 7188 mono ‘61 DG orig RVG 1ST NICE

$

114

Artist(s):   JOHN COLTRANE  

Title:  “Lush Life”

Year:  1961.

Label:   PRESTIGE ~ # PRLP 7188.  Monaural pressing on thick vinyl. 

Label is yellow BERGENFIELD, NJ with deep groove.  “RVG” is stamped in the runout groove on both sides.   

Personnel:

Side A:

John Coltrane – tenor sax

Earl May – bass

Arthur Taylor – drums

Side B:

John Coltrane – tenor sax

Donald Byrd, Trumpet

Red Garland – piano

Paul Chambers – bass

Louis Hayes or Al Heath - drums

Condition: 

DISC:  Vinyl is EXCELLENT/VG++ with full original gloss.  Side 1 has 5 soft tics at the start, then fine.  Has been played a small number of times and handled with care.  There are a couple slight hairline “surface” scuffs but no serious issues or distractions.  Plays beautifully with gorgeous rich fidelity.  Labels are clean.  This essential Coltrane LP is getting increasingly hard to find as the remaining nice copies disappear into collections, so don’t miss out on this nice one. 

JACKET:  Jacket is nice VG+ with no major issues.   Laminated front panel is clean and bright, with a bit of discoloration at the bottom and a bit of chipping on the right opening edge  and at corners (see photo).  Seams are intact except for a minor split (approximately 3”) at bottom center.  Reverse has a bit of light staining along the bottom, as shown in the photo.  No writing, stickers, or other defects.  Overall a very presentable jacket to accompany the great sounding disc.

Track Listing: 

Side One:

• Like Someone in Love
• I Love You
• Trane’s Slow Blues

Side Two:

• Lush Life
• I Hear a Rhapsody  

Review:

“Lush Life (1958) is among John Coltrane's best endeavors on the Prestige label.  One reason can easily be attributed to the interesting personnel and the subsequent lack of a keyboard player for the August 16, 1957 session that yielded the majority of the material.  Coltrane (tenor sax) had to essentially lead the compact trio of himself, Earl May (bass), and Art Taylor (drums).  The intimate setting is perfect for ballads such as the opener "Like Someone in Love."  Coltrane doesn't have to supplement the frequent redundancy inherent in pianists, so he has plenty of room to express himself through simple and ornate passages.  Unifying the slippery syncopation and slightly Eastern feel of "I Love You" is the tenor's prevalent capacity for flawless, if not downright inspired on-the-spot "head" arrangements that emerge singular and clear, never sounding preconceived.  Even at an accelerated pace, the rhythm section ably prods the backbeat without interfering.  A careful comparison will reveal that "Trane's Slo Blues" is actually a fairly evident derivation (or possibly a different take) of "Slowtrane."  But don't let the title fool you as the mid-tempo blues is undergirded by a lightheartedness.  May provides a platform for Coltrane's even keeled runs before the tenor drops out, allowing both May and then Taylor a chance to shine.  The fun cat-and-mouse-like antics continue as Taylor can be heard encouraging the tenor player to raise the stakes and the tempo -- which he does to great effect.

The practically quarter-hour reading of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" is not only the focal point of this album, it is rightfully considered as one of Coltrane's unqualified masterworks.  The performance hails from January 10, 1958, as Coltrane sits in with Red Garland (piano), Donald Byrd (trumpet), Paul Chambers (bass), and Louis Hayes (drums).  Coltrane handles the tune's delicate complexities with infinite style and finesse.  Garland similarly sparkles at the 88s, while Byrd's solo offers a bit of a tonal alternative.  It should be noted that the reading here does not include a vocal from Johnny Hartman.  That version can be found on the ever imaginatively monikered John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (1963).”

(courtesy Lindsay Planer, allmusic.com.)

NOTE:  Play graded and cleaned on a Nitty Gritty “mini-Pro” professional model record cleaning machine.

Guaranteed to be original and authentic.  I do not sell bootlegs or modern reissues.

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