The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings

• Artist: John Coltrane
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1959 01 15-1961 05 25
• Total Time: 407:20
• Type: Compilation (best of), Box set
• Genre: Jazz

Review

The Heavyweight Champion is a box set that lives up to its title. Collecting all of John Coltrane's Atlantic recordings, including a fair number of unreleased takes as well as an entire disc of alternate tracks and studio chatter, the seven-disc box set documents a pivotal moment in Coltrane's career, as he was moving from hard bop and sweet standards to a more daring, experimental style of playing influenced by the avant-garde. Much of the music is hard bop (Giant Steps) or lushly melodic (My Favorite Things), but the latter discs show the saxophonist coming to terms with the more experimental movements in jazz. The scope of this music is, quite simply, breathtaking -- not only was Coltrane developing at a rapid speed, but the resulting music encompasses nearly every element that made him a brilliant musician, and it is beautiful. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Stairway to the Stars	Mitchell Parish, Frank Signorelli, Matty Malneck	John Coltrane	(3:29)
The Late Late Blues	Milt Jackson	John Coltrane	(9:33)
Bags & Trane	Milt Jackson	John Coltrane	(7:24)
Three Little Words	Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby	John Coltrane	(7:28)
The Night We Called It a Day	Matt Dennis, Tom Adair	John Coltrane	(4:20)
Bebop	Dizzy Gillespie	John Coltrane	(7:58)
Blues Legacy	Milt Jackson	John Coltrane	(9:02)
Centerpiece	Harry "Sweets" Edison, Bill Tennyson	John Coltrane	(7:06)
Giant Steps [Alternate Version]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(3:41)
Naima [Alternate Version]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:28)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(6:03)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Spiral	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:56)
Countdown	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(2:21)
Countdown [Alternate Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:32)
Syeeda's Song Flute	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(7:00)
Syeeda's Song Flute [Alternate Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(7:05)
Mr. P.C.	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(6:56)
Giant Steps	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:44)
Cousin Mary	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:46)
Cousin Mary [Alternate Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:44)
I'll Wait and Pray	Gerald Valentine, George Treadwell	John Coltrane	(3:32)
I'll Wait and Pray [Alternate Take]	Gerald Valentine, George Treadwell	John Coltrane	(3:25)
Little Old Lady	Hoagy Carmichael, Stanley Adams	John Coltrane	(4:24)

CD 3

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Like Sonny	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:51)
Harmonique	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:10)
My Shining Hour	Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer	John Coltrane	(4:50)
Naima	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:20)
Some Other Blues	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:34)
Fifth House	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:38)
Cherryco	Don Cherry	John Coltrane	(6:45)
The Blessing	Ornette Coleman	John Coltrane	(7:50)
Focus on Sanity	Ornette Coleman	John Coltrane	(12:11)
The Invisible	Ornette Coleman	John Coltrane	(4:10)
Bemsha Swing	Denzil Best, Thelonious Monk	John Coltrane	(5:04)

CD 4

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Village Blues	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:20)
Village Blues [Alternate Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(6:14)
My Favorite Things	Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II	John Coltrane	(13:41)
Central Park West	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:12)
Mr. Syms	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:20)
Untitled Original [Exotica]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:19)
Summertime	George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Dubose Heyward	John Coltrane	(11:32)
Body and Soul	Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton	John Coltrane	(5:35)
Body and Soul [Alternate Take]	Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton	John Coltrane	(5:57)
Mr. Knight	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(7:31)

CD 5

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Blues to Elvin [Alternate Take]	Elvin Jones	John Coltrane	(10:57)
Blues to Elvin	Elvin Jones	John Coltrane	(7:51)
Mr. Day	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(7:53)
Blues to You [Alternate Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:32)
Blues to You	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(6:26)
Blues to Bechet	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:44)
Satellite	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:48)
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye	Cole Porter	John Coltrane	(5:39)
26-2	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(6:10)
But Not for Me	George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin	John Coltrane	(9:34)

CD 6

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Liberia	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(6:48)
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes	Jerry Brainin, Buddy Bernier	John Coltrane	(6:48)
Equinox	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(8:32)
Olé	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(18:13)
Dahomey Dance	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(10:49)
Aisha	McCoy Tyner	John Coltrane	(7:37)
To Her Ladyship [Original Untitled Ballad]	Bill Frazier	John Coltrane	(8:58)

CD 7

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Giant Steps [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:43)
Giant Steps [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(:14)
Giant Steps [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(2:51)
Giant Steps [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(1:19)
Giant Steps [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(3:40)
Giant Steps [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(:32)
Giant Steps [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:12)
Naima [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(3:20)
Naima [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(3:24)
Naima [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(:15)
Naima [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(3:50)
Naima [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(3:38)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Excerpt][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(:09)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Excerpt][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(1:34)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(:19)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(3:08)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(1:08)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(:07)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(8:24)
Like Sonny [Alternate Version][#][Take]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(1:09)
Giant Steps [Incomplete Take][#]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:06)
Giant Steps [Take 6][Alternate Take][#]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(4:54)
Blues to Elvin [False Start][#]	Elvin Jones	John Coltrane	(:10)
Blues to Elvin [Take 3][Alternate Take][#]	Elvin Jones	John Coltrane	(6:02)
Blues to You [Take 2][Alternate Take][#]	John Coltrane	John Coltrane	(5:30)

Credits

Don Cherry (Trumpet), Art Davis (Bass), Eric Dolphy (Flute), Eric Dolphy (Sax (Alto)), Tommy Flanagan (Piano), Milt Jackson (Vibraphone), Elvin Jones (Drums), Hank Jones (Piano), Wynton Kelly (Piano), Art Taylor (Drums), Cedar Walton (Piano), Jimmy Cobb (Drums), Connie Kay (Drums), Percy Heath (Bass), McCoy Tyner (Piano), Ed Blackwell (Drums), Paul Chambers (Bass), John Coltrane (Sax (Soprano)), John Coltrane (Sax (Tenor)), John Coltrane (Main Performer), Joel Dorn (Liner Notes), Joel Dorn (Compilation Producer), Tom Dowd (Engineer), Tom Dowd (Liner Notes), Ahmet Ertegun (Liner Notes), Nesuhi Ertegun (Producer), Nesuhi Ertegun (Supervisor), Charlie Haden (Bass), Freddie Hubbard (Trumpet), Lex Humphries (Drums), Phil Iehle (Engineer), Ted Myers (Editing), Gene Paul (Remastering), Reggie Workman (Bass), Francis Wolff (Photography), Chuck Stewart (Photography), Stephen K. Peeples (Editing), Darcy Sullivan (Editing), Geoff Gans (Art Direction), Geoff Gans (Cover Design), Geoff Gans (Packaging), Michael Ochs (Photography), Coco Shinomiya (Art Direction), Patrick Milligan (?), Patrick Milligan (Executive Producer), Patrick Milligan (Discographical Annotation), Norma Edwards (Editing), Nancy L. Hopkins (Editing), Lee Tanner (Photography), Lee Friedlander (Photography), Lewis Porter (Assistant Producer), Mephisto (Photography), Alice Arnold (Photography), Steve Davis (Bass)