John Coltrane
Tenor Sax Solo on
I'll Wait and Pray

About

John Coltrane's tenor sax solo is the sole improvisation on this recording of "I'll Wait and Pray". Spanning half a chorus of the 32-bar AABA form in E♭ at a slow 59 BPM with a ballad feel, Coltrane's half-chorus tenor saxophone solo is a study in melodic restraint and emotional depth, a quality that sometimes gets overlooked amid discussions of his more technically dazzling performances. After once through the form, Coltrane jumps to the bridge and plays with the melody as he ends the tune on a beautiful harmonic.

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