That was a clickbait title, what I’m going to say here is my opinion only, but at least informed by 55 years of life that included a substantial amount of jazz education.
Coltrane as a technician is invaluable. His understanding of the math was on a strange level and any of us can learn from what he played and wrote, intellectually. But - looking back in retrospect at his recordings and his choices as a performer:
His tone was shrill.
He took way too many choruses most of the time. His solos often began with beautiful ideas and devolved into patterns and exercises. “Impressions” is one example. Past a certain point, he sounds to me like he’s recording himself practicing.
His music is hard to listen to unless you are listening critically and with all of your attention.
I think at the time it was stylish for jazz musicians to record themselves playing 12 minute versions of songs that had 5 minutes of ideas. So some of it might have been that.
I’m not sure why I’m posting this because it could establish me as a pariah, but it’s a chat forum and I guess I’m wondering whether anyone at all agrees, and why.
Coltrane as a technician is invaluable. His understanding of the math was on a strange level and any of us can learn from what he played and wrote, intellectually. But - looking back in retrospect at his recordings and his choices as a performer:
His tone was shrill.
He took way too many choruses most of the time. His solos often began with beautiful ideas and devolved into patterns and exercises. “Impressions” is one example. Past a certain point, he sounds to me like he’s recording himself practicing.
His music is hard to listen to unless you are listening critically and with all of your attention.
I think at the time it was stylish for jazz musicians to record themselves playing 12 minute versions of songs that had 5 minutes of ideas. So some of it might have been that.
I’m not sure why I’m posting this because it could establish me as a pariah, but it’s a chat forum and I guess I’m wondering whether anyone at all agrees, and why.
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