Labeled as "Alternate Take 5" on expanded editions of Coltrane Jazz, this version of "Like Sonny" offers the most extended exploration of the Sonny Rollins tribute composition from the November 1959 sessions. Coltrane stretches to four choruses on tenor saxophone, one more than on either the master take or the other alternate, suggesting a deeper dive into the composition's 24-bar ABA form in E-flat at approximately 150 BPM. This extended solo allows him to develop ideas more fully, building longer melodic arcs and exploring harmonic substitutions with greater patience. Wynton Kelly follows with two choruses on piano, and Paul Chambers takes two featured bass choruses, with the overall tempo settling slightly lower than the other versions. The existence of multiple takes of this composition underscores its importance to Coltrane, and this particular version may represent the most fully realized improvisational statement among the three. The gradual deceleration across the performance, with the tempo relaxing from 150 to about 132 BPM, gives the music a natural, organic quality, as if the musicians are collectively deciding to let the material breathe. Jimmy Cobb's drumming throughout is a model of tasteful timekeeping, adapting fluidly to the ensemble's evolving dynamic.
