The Very Best of John Coltrane

After his tenure with Miles, this saxophonist moved to the Impulse! label with a full head of steam. Trane’s classic quartet with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones could handle all of his moves: yearning, modal compositions (“A Love Supreme, Pt. 1 (Acknowledgement)”), mournful ballads (“Crescent”), and fiery explorations of tunes like “Afro-Blue (Live At Birdland 1963).” Always in search of a new intensity, Coltrane pushed his tone to extremes, but the soulful, lyrical grace of his playing is always present.