"All the Things You Are" is a performance of Jerome Kern's harmonically rich standard from Johnny Griffin's 1957 album A Blowing Session, featuring an extraordinary parade of six soloists navigating the 36-bar AABA form in A-flat. Griffin leads with three choruses of tenor saxophone that combine his characteristic speed with surprising harmonic depth, his lines tracing the tune's complex modulations with assured fluency. John Coltrane follows with two choruses that reveal his intense engagement with the harmonic possibilities of this venerable standard, his improvisation probing every corner of the chord changes. Lee Morgan delivers two trumpet choruses of exuberant inventiveness, while Hank Mobley's two tenor saxophone choruses bring an understated elegance that contrasts with the more intense approaches of Griffin and Coltrane. Wynton Kelly contributes a single chorus of graceful piano improvisation, and Paul Chambers closes with a single chorus of acoustic bass that demonstrates his remarkable melodic conception. The track provides a fascinating opportunity to hear three of the era's leading tenor saxophonists interpreting the same harmonic material in succession, each bringing a fundamentally different approach to the instrument. At approximately 186 beats per minute, the tempo is comfortable enough to allow melodic development while maintaining a forward swing momentum. The performance exemplifies the competitive camaraderie that defined the hard bop jam session tradition.
