5. Lush Life #JohnColtrane100
Yesterday, we listened to a version of “Lush Life” with vocals by Johnny Hartman, but Coltrane had already recorded that tune in 1958, in a quintet version.
The song starts with Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass. Louis Hayes on drums enters only after the first exposition of the theme. Then Garland starts a chorus. Then Donald Byrd, on trumpet, starts playing a chorus.
I would like to understand what brought him in that recording session where they apparently only recorded that tune! An explanation might be that Red Garland's trio (with Art Taylor on drums and George Joyner on bass) made four recordings in the end of 1957 for which he invited both Coltrane and Byrd. So maybe Coltrane liked the quintet mood and simply returned the invitation.
In his *Downbeat* review, Dave Rickert notes that Byrd helps pushing the tempo a little bit. On the other hand, he goes back to the initial tempo at the end of his chorus. Anyway, this gives Coltrane another opportunity for a short chorus. Then both Byrd and Coltrane play the melody together and conclude the piece using descending harmonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JqTFAIiAn4
⏚ Antoine Chambert-Loir
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2026-09-27 16:18:36 UTC
in reply to nevent1q…f5pa
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2026-09-27 16:18:36 UTCEvent JSON
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