Blue Train (1958)
John ColtraneWhat is it about Lee Morgan that demands my attention? Here I am casually listening to one of the greatest albums of all time — “I’m Old Fashioned” is on, Morgan’s solo comes last, and my head snaps up from what I am doing.
Whereas Miles is wispier, smoother, Morgan is stout and defiant. All right, both are defiant, which is one of the things I love about MD. But Morgan’s tone runs bright and almost flamboyant, where Davis’ is darker, more somber.
Kind of Blue (1959)
Miles DavisSome records ask to be judged. Some ask to be decoded. Kind of Blue does neither. It waits. Listening again—now, with winter settled in and a new SET amp warming the room—the album doesn’t feel like a monument so much as a destination. It is calm without being passive. Spacious without being empty. Nothing here hurries, yet nothing drags. There are no fast tunes, no technical gauntlets thrown down. And still, the …
Blue Train (1958)
John ColtraneThis was my first serious listen to Blue Train on the new Inspire SET, volume hovering around 80%—and this little amp absolutely delivers. There’s something about the SET presentation here that feels right for a record like this: dimensional, unforced, revealing without turning analytical. The more I listened, the more the stage came into focus, not as an abstract audiophile trick, but as a room with bodies in it. …
Hard Bop Constellations
Various ArtistsAnnouncing a new approach my listening: a monthly playlist of related albums that I will listen to and write about, discussing cultural connections, impressions, and backgrounds: I’ll tag this series. It’ll provide me with a focus each month, so I’ll know what I’m listening to throughout half the month, anyway. I’ll begin this experiment with a modest-sized list, say around ten albums, and go from there. I figure a …
