John Coltrane – Coltrane Jazz (CD)

Recorded in late 1959 and early 1960, this Atlantic session caught Coltrane at a genuine crossroads, still working within the post-bop frameworks he'd honed with Miles Davis while pushing toward the harmonic freedom that would define his later work. The rhythm section anchors him beautifully, giving the saxophonist room to stretch without yet breaking entirely from the tradition he was quietly dismantling.