By Calvin Wilson

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

11/08/2005

In the canon of jazz, there have been quite a few influential figures. But saxophonist John Coltrane occupies a cherished position. Not only did he master the language of bop, but he also pointed the way to directions in music that remain under investigation. His recordings document at least three Tranes: the hard-charging bopper, the open-eared experimenter and the rambunctious but revered visionary.

It's as the latter that Coltrane is perhaps best remembered, and that aspect of his musical personality is heard to fine effect on the double album "One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note" (Impulse). But the saxophonist also enjoyed mainstream appeal, as evidenced by the supremely accessible performances on "Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall" (Blue Note). ... [MORE]