John Coltrane
Tenor Sax Solo on
Harmonique

About

John Coltrane's tenor sax solo is the first of two solos on this recording, followed by Wynton Kelly on piano. Spanning three choruses of the 12-bar Blues form in B♭ at a moderate 131 BPM with a swing feel, over three choruses, Coltrane experiments with overtone techniques that produce ghostly, flute-like tones above his normal register, a striking departure from conventional saxophone timbre that would influence generations of reed players. Coltrane's tenor saxophone work reflects a balance of technical fluency and melodic storytelling, building intensity through the course of the improvisation.

John Coltrane was 32 to 33 years old at the time.