"Locomotion" is a high-energy composition from John Coltrane's 1957 album Blue Trane, its 44-bar AABA form and driving tempo of approximately 268 beats per minute creating a sense of relentless forward momentum that lives up to its railway-inspired title. Coltrane's two-chorus tenor saxophone solo demonstrates his growing mastery of extended improvisation at breakneck speeds, his lines hurtling through the changes with a locomotive force that matches the composition's kinetic energy. Curtis Fuller follows with two choruses of trombone that showcase his ability to maintain clarity and musical coherence even at these demanding tempos. Lee Morgan delivers two choruses of trumpet improvisation that sparkle with the dazzling technique and brash confidence that made him one of the most exciting young voices in hard bop. Kenny Drew contributes a single chorus of piano that navigates the extended form with assurance. Philly Joe Jones closes with a single drum chorus that exemplifies his explosive, technically brilliant approach to the instrument. The track's unusual 44-bar form, longer than the standard 32-bar structure, gives the soloists additional harmonic terrain to navigate, adding to the performance's sense of expansive forward motion. "Locomotion" captures the Blue Trane band at full throttle, six musicians pushing each other to ever-greater heights of intensity and invention.
