Giant Steps - Definition and Overview

Giant Steps
Album by John Coltrane
Released	January, 1960
Recorded	1959
Genre	Jazz
Length	62 min 40 s
Record label	Atlantic Records
Professional reviews
AMG	5/5	[1] (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dtkzikbhbbc9)
John Coltrane Chronology
Soultrane (1958)	Giant Steps (1960)	Coltrane Jazz (1961)

Giant Steps is a 1960 (see 1960 in music) album by jazz musician John Coltrane. .

Giant Steps was a first for Coltrane in several ways. It was Coltrane's debut album for the Atlantic label, and marked the first time all of the songs on a recording consisted of Coltrane's own compositions. The recording exemplifies Coltrane's harmonic improvisation and melodic phrasing that came to be known as the sheets of sound.

Track listing

1. "Giant Steps" - 4:43
2. "Cousin Mary" - 5:45
3. "Countdown" - 2:21
4. "Spiral" - 5:56
5. "Syeeda's Song Flute" - 7:00
6. "Naima" - 4:21
7. "Mr. P.C." (alternate take) - 6:57
8. "Giant Steps" (alternate take) - 3:40
9. "Naima" (alternate take) - 4:27
10. "Cousin Mary" (alternate take) - 5:54
11. "Countdown" (alternate take) - 4:33
12. "Syeeda's Song Flute" (alternate take) - 7:02

Personnel

Recorded May 4, 1959: Main take tracks 1-5, 7, and alternate take tracks 10-12

• John Coltrane - Tenor sax
• Paul Chambers - Bass
• Tommy Flanagan - Piano
• Art Taylor - Drums
• Tom Dowd - Engineer
• Phil Iehle - Engineer

Recorded December 2, 1959: Main take track 6

• Wynton Kelly - Piano
• Jimmy Cobb - Drums

Recorded April 1, 1959: Alternate tracks 8 and 9

• Cedar Walton - Piano
• Lex Humphries - Drums

See also

• Coltrane changes

External link

• Liner notes (http://web.archive.org/web/20020615215357/http://www.rhino.com/features/liners/75203lin.html), Deluxe Edition