JOHN COLTRANE is on of the most well known jazz sax players. He began recording albums in 1955 and did what he love right up until his death in 1967. He was a pioneer in the free jazz and avant-garde sytle of improv, a category which Sun-Ra also fits.
Many say the album THE JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET PLAYS, released in 1965, is the beginning of the Quartet's evolution into this spaced out, trippy, weird style of playing. It is here that we find Coltrane's version of Chim Chim Cher-ee from Mary Poppins. You will hear him playing a soprano saxophone, an instrument he popularized in the jazz world.
Rounding out the Quartet we have McCoy Tyner on the piano, Jimmy Garrison on the double bass, and Elvin Jones on the drums.
You'll notice that the track fades out at the end. This is because the track is actually twenty minutes long! The producer must have felt that the track would be too long for the record and shortened it. Recently, the twenty minute version has been released on a few albums. You can purchase it for a buck here.
Cream of the Cover Crop! I'm a big Coltrane'fan since I discover him, and this version is really impressive. The minor mood makes the song sounds completely different. Thank you.