John Coltrane - The Heavyweight Champion The Complete Atlantic Recordings of John Coltrane Incl 7 CDs 72 Pg HdC Book (86 tracks) +Album Reviews

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John Coltrane
The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings of John Coltrane (Incl: 7 CD's; 72 Pg. Hd.C. Book)
Genres: Jazz, Pop, Broadway & Vocalists

Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
1. Stairway To The Stairs
2. The Late Late Blues
3. Bags & Trane
4. Three Little Words
5. The Night We Called It A Day
6. Be-Bop
7. Blues Legacy
8. Centerpiece
9. Gaint Steps (Alternate Version)
10. Naima (Alternate Version)
11. Like Sonny (Alternate Version)
Track Listings (12) - Disc #2
1. Spiral
2. Countdown
3. Countdown (Alternate Take)
4. Syeeda's Song Flute
5. Syeeda's Song Flute (Alternate Take)
6. Mr. P.C.
7. Giant Steps
8. Cousin Mary
9. Cousin Mary (Alternate Take)
10. I'll Wait And Pray
11. I'll Wait And Pray (Alternate Take)
12. Little Old Lady
Track Listings (11) - Disc #3
1. Like Sonny
2. Harmonique
3. My Shinning Hour
4. Naima
5. Some Other Blues
6. Fifth House
7. Cherryco
8. The Blessing
9. Focus On Sanity
10. The Invisible
11. Bemsha Swing
Track Listings (10) - Disc #4
1. Village Blues
2. Village Blues (Alternate Take)
3. My Favorite Things
4. Central Park West
5. Mr. Syms
6. Untitled Original (Exotica)
7. Summertime
8. Body And Soul
9. Body And Soul (Alternate Take)
10. Mr. Knight
Track Listings (10) - Disc #5
1. Blues To Elvin (Alternate Take)
2. Blues To Elvin
3. Mr. Day
4. Blues To You (Alternate Take)
5. Blues To You
6. Blues To Bechet
7. Satellite
8. Everytime We Say Goodbye
9. 26-2
10. But Not For Me
Track Listings (7) - Disc #6
1. Liberia
2. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
3. Equinox
4. Ole
5. Dahomey Dance
6. Aisha
7. Original Untitled Ballad (To Her Ladyship)
Track Listings (25) - Disc #7
1. Giant Steps (Alternate Version): Take 1 [Incomplete]
2. Giant Steps (Alternate Version): Take 2 [False Start]
3. Giant Steps (Alternate Version): Take 3 [Incomplete]
4. Giant Steps (Alternate Version): Take 4 [Incomplete]
5. Giant Steps (Alternate Version): Take 5 [Alternate]
6. Giant Steps (Alternate Version): Take 6 [False Start]
7. Giant Steps (Alternate Version): Take 7 [Incomplete]
8. Naima (Alternate Version): Take 1 [Incomplete]
9. Naima (Alternate Version): Take 2 [Incomplete]
10. Naima (Alternate Version): Take 4 [False Start]
11. Naima (Alternate Version): Take 5 [Alternate]
12. Naima (Alternate Version): Take 6 [Alternate]
13. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Rehearsal 1 [False Start]
14. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Rehearsal 2 [Incomplete]
15. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Take 1 [False Start]
16. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Take 2 [Incomplete]
17. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Take 3 [Incomplete]
18. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Take 4 [False Start]
19. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Take 5 [Alternate]
20. Like Sonny (Alternate Version): Take 6 [Incomplete]
21. Giant Steps: Take 3 [Incomplete]
22. Giant Steps: Take 6 [Alternate]
23. Blues To Elvin: Take 2 [False Start]
24. Blues To Elvin: Take 3 [Alternate]
25. Blues To You: Take 2 [Alternate]

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CD Details

All Artists: John Coltrane
Title: The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings of John Coltrane (Incl: 7 CD's; 72 Pg. Hd.C. Book)
Members Wishing: 6
Total Copies: 0
Label: Atlantic / Wea
Original Release Date: 8/15/1995
Release Date: 8/15/1995
Album Type: Box set
Genres: Jazz, Pop, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Avant Garde & Free Jazz, Modern Postbebop, Vocal Jazz, Bebop, Vocal Pop, Traditional Vocal Pop
Number of Discs: 7
SwapaCD Credits: 7
UPCs: 081227198428, 081227198411, 081227198466, 603497778416

Synopsis

Amazon.com

John Coltrane not only made his reputation once and for all during his brief 1959-61 stay at Atlantic Records; he cut enough material to allow the label to continue releasing "new" albums (the Don Cherry collaboration The Avant-Garde) until a year before his 1967 death. The Heavyweight Champion collects those masters plus revealing alternate takes and false starts in a typical handsome Rhino box that is also packed with informative notes and great Lee Friedlander photos. While the sheer volume of music and emotion Coltrane and cohorts throw at the listener might make purchases of individual discs like My Favorite Things, Giant Steps, and Coltrane's Sound a wise choice, those committed enough to jump right in won't regret adding these seven CDs to their collections. Coltrane had kicked his multilayered sonic and spiritual quest into fifth gear by the time of his Atlantic debut, and to say he scorched plenty of earth while under the care of staff producer Nesuhi Ertegun is only the beginning of an ample description of his achievements at the label. Though he was to go even further at Impulse!, where he ended his career, Champion's tracks rate in the very small beyond-five-stars category. --Rickey Wright

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CD Reviews

Great music and great packaging

Ravi Desai | India | 01/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great box set. 7Cds comprising all of Coltranes work on the Atlantic label. This includes all the material on 10 albums: 1.Giant Steps, 2.Coltrane Jazz, 3.Bags and Trane, 4. My favorite things, 5. ole coltrane, 6. coltrane plays the blues, 7. coltranes sound, 8. the avant garde, 9. the coltrane legacy, 10. coltrane-alternate takes. These albums are all contained on the first 6 discs in the set. the track order has been modified so that tracks are presented in the original chronological order. The seventh disc consists of several alternate takes(which are only available in this box set). This is great material and is should be in every serious jazz collection. it is worth noting that most of this is available as individual discs and many collectors may want to accumulate this one CD at a time. The accompanying book and overall packagingare excellent My only complaint is that this is a very expensive set. there are also a lot of alternate takes (but serious listeners will enjoy these). buyers should note that this is not a complete collection of Coltrane's work. A lot of coltranes best work(Alove supreme)was done on Impulse records and is therefore not in this set. Overall this is a wonderful collection, if it were only more affordable"

Chronological conundrum

Ian K. Hughes | San Mateo, CA | 03/02/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As many jazz fans reading this review already know, there are eight albums John Coltrane recorded for Atlantic, 1959-1961:

BAGS AND TRANE ( w/ Milt Jackson )

GIANT STEPS

COLTRANE JAZZ

THE AVANT-GARDE ( w/ Don Cherry )

MY FAVORITE THINGS

COLTRANE PLAYS THE BLUES

COLTRANE'S SOUND

OLE

Given the sheer excellence of these recordings ( "Giant Steps" and "My Favorite Things" are landmarks ), this reviewer is more than a little sheepish at having to slap a 3 star rating on the "Heavyweight Champion" box set. Why? Well, it's certainly not due to the music, for I haven't any doubt whatsoever as to either its inherent quality or artistic significance. And obviously, the low rating can't be chalked up to packaging details, which are uniformly tasteful: the hard-cover booklet, more a "mini-book", is exemplary and there is a truly spectacular "extra" ( ingeniously encased in a replica of a reel-to-reel tape box ) in the form of a disc devoted to virtually *all* of the takes ( partial & complete ) of Trane's groundbreaking tune, "Giant Steps".

No, the crux of my complaint resides in what I strongly feel is an aesthetic violation: the fact that this box set, like so many others, arranges all of the music ( including alternate takes ) in strict chronological order. While this approach certainly has merits for extended live recordings or certain unique studio projects ( eg, Art Tatum's mammoth sessions for Norman Granz ), I find it has little *artistic* ( as opposed to musicological ) justification when applied to a body of work that stands so close to perfection through the arrangement its creator fashioned. Undoubtedly, there are those who truly enjoy fastidious methods of tracing artistic development, but I question whether any other than the most rigorous would be worse off just exploring the albums in their original form with alternate takes placed as appendices at the "bottom" of each particular work. And in fact, all of the work contained in this box set *is* currently available in just such a format. I highly recommend the prospective buyer think this over prior to making an investment; for those other than collectors who just *have* to have the set for the complete takes/outakes of "Giant Steps" ( I admit I wouldn't part with it ), the individual album route makes much more sense."

Coltrane's Best - Great Set

Scott McFarland | Manassas, VA United States | 10/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have the other 2 box sets of Coltrane's recorded works - the 16-CD Prestige set and the 8-CD Impulse set. This is by far the most impressive, definitive, and even of the sets. John finds himself on here - he cuts his seminal "Giant Steps" material on Discs 1 and 2, then moves on to form his original quartet (with Elvin, McCoy, and Steve Davis) and cut a wealth of blues-inspired material while the band was fresh. He discovers the soprano sax and plays some startling figures on it (the best-known being "My Favorite Things"). The compositions on here are perfect and the playing pretty great. John never sounded better, and I can't imagine anyone with an interest in jazz not enjoying the heck out of this set."

Oh Yes, Oh Yes, Oh Yes!

Memphis Evans | St. Louis Park, MN United States | 12/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is WONDERFUL. If you're like me and you think John Coltrane was the most perfect realization of God's purpose when God invented music x thousand years ago, you will love this set. (If you don't already have it.) But even if you don't think that, you will probably like it an awful lot. It is simply jazz saxophone at its finest. And the high quality of the recording captures the music perfectly.Even though it is seven discs, I've listened to it probably 40 times. Several entire albums are included here. Yes it's expensive, but if you buy one of the albums separately, you will want another, and another, and then you'll eventually buy this anyway. That's what happened to me.Like liner notes? There is plenty to read in the generous booklet. Curious what songs were originally on what albums in what order? All that information is included here, along with original album artwork, complete session information, musician credits, etc. I am very picky about the way albums sound and the way they are packaged and I found no problems with this set. That is rare for me, people!Usually when a record label says, "The Complete..." I think, "sure..." and then another album comes out with something they just "discovered". But I think they did it right with this one and actually gave us everything! If you are at all into jazz, you will never regret buying this whole set."

Every Note He Recorded For Atlantic... Plus!

Memphis Evans | 01/18/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 7 CD boxed set from Atlantic/Rhino records contains all of Coltrane's issued material from the Atlantic years on 6 CDs (chronologically), plus a 7th CD of never-before released Atlantic material unavailable anywhere else! The liner notes are bound in a CD-sized hardcover book, and are quite extensive. Sound quality is excellent! Granted, this boxed set is a bit pricey, and may put a dent in your economy, but if you're a Coltrane fan, it's a gold mine! As they say in the liner notes: "Whatever we have, you (now) have. That's all there is, and there isn't any more". Another beautiful package from Rhino Records!! END"