John Coltrane: Giant Steps [ATLANTIC / RHINO]

Why you'll love it

Giant Steps is one of the most influential jazz albums of all time and is in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. The title tune remains a rite of passage for every jazz musician.

This edition

• Giant Steps on vinyl
• Atlantic / Rhino pressing

About the album

Coltrane's first album for Atlantic was also his first made up entirely of his own compositions, and it blew the doors off modern jazz. The title track races through a dizzying cycle of chord changes that musicians still sweat over today, and his saxophone sounds unstoppable.

"Giant Steps" and "Countdown" are breathtaking, "Cousin Mary" and "Mr. P.C." (for bassist Paul Chambers) swing hard, "Syeeda's Song Flute" is pure joy, and "Naima," written for his wife, is one of the most beautiful ballads in jazz.

Also at Kops: more John Coltrane on vinyl · browse Classic Jazz

Tracklist

Listen

On Atlantic / Rhino, a reissue of the 1960 album.