Released in January 1960, John Coltrane's first album devoted entirely to his own compositions confirmed his towering command of tenor saxophone and his emerging power as a composer. Apprenticeships with Dizzy, Miles, and Monk had helped focus his furious, expansive solos, and his stamina and underlying sense of harmonic adventure brought Coltrane, at 33, to a new cusp--the polytonal "sheets of sound" that distinguished his marathon solos were offset by interludes of subtle, concise lyricism, embodied here in the tender "Naima." That classic ballad is a calm refuge from the ecstatic, high-speed runs that spark the set's up-tempo climaxes, which begin with the opening title song, itself a cornerstone of modern jazz composition. This exemplary reissue benefits from eight alternate takes of the original album's seven stellar tracks, excellent remastering of the original tapes, and an expanded annotation. --Sam Sutherland

TrackList
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1 Giant Steps Coltrane 4:46
2 Cousin Mary Coltrane 5:49
3 Countdown Coltrane 2:25
4 Spiral Coltrane 6:02
5 Syeeda's Song Flute Coltrane 7:05
6 Naima Coltrane 4:25
7 Mr. P.C. Coltrane 7:03
8 Giant Steps [#] Coltrane 3:44
9 Naima [#] Coltrane 4:31
10 Cousin Mary [alternate take/#] Coltrane 5:50
11 Countdown [alternate take/#] Coltrane 4:37
12 Syeeda's Song Flute [alternate take/#] Coltrane 7:11
13 Giant Steps [#] Coltrane 3:31
14 Naima [#] Coltrane 3:27
15 Giant Steps [alternate take/#] Coltrane 4:51