John Coltrane
Tenor Sax Solo on
How Deep Is the Ocean?

About

John Coltrane's tenor saxophone solo is the fifth of six solos on "How Deep Is the Ocean?" from the 1956 Tenor Conclave album. He takes one chorus of the 32-bar ABAC form at 52 BPM in E-flat, and even in this ballad context his playing shows a denser harmonic approach than his fellow tenors on the session. At 29 to 30 years old, Coltrane fills the slow tempo with more harmonic information, his ballad playing already hinting at the exploratory intensity that would define his later work. His chorus follows Chambers's bass and precedes Hank Mobley's closing statement.

John Coltrane was 29 to 30 years old at the time.