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Coltrane's Progeny: Giant Steps for Late Beginners
ByJohn Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
The great bassist

Jimmy Haslip
bassb.1951

Jaco Pastorius
bass, electric1951 - 1987
It is always interesting to see what different artists of different backgrounds, training, temperament and even life experience make of someone's music. You would suspect, or like to think, that the more profound someone's art is, the more varied its influence might be on others of different sensibilities. There may be, to a listener at least, more or less congenial ways to play a tune. But rarely, if ever, will you find someone say you can't play something a certain way. It has happened, such as

Maynard Ferguson
trumpet1928 - 2006

Charlie Barnet
saxophone1913 - 1991

Jaki Byard
piano1922 - 1999
One measure of the influence, depth and transformative power of Coltrane' "Giant Steps" is to hear what some other artists have made of it. Since there are well over 200 covers of the tune, you do have a wide choice. There is a case to be made that "Giant Steps" is one of the most influential jazz recordings ever on that basis alone. What follows is not a history, much less a technical analysis. That I leave to others with the chops to do both justice. Here are the ways in which ten (actually more) very accomplished artists have interpreted it. I list them in no particular order. There is no favorite, although . Indeed, you may well have an entirely different version in mind. I hope some comments may highlight versions not listed. Have some fun with the plasticity of genius. We can all learn something from each other. Oh, and if you're curious about the (supposed) story of

Tommy Flanagan
piano1930 - 2001

Rahsaan Roland Kirk
woodwinds1935 - 1977

Scotty Barnhart
trumpetb.1964

Terry Gibbs
vibraphoneb.1924

Buddy DeFranco
clarinet1923 - 2014

Michel Petrucciani
piano1962 - 1999

Camille Bertault
vocalsb.1986

World Saxophone Quartet
band / ensemble / orchestra
Tete Montoliu
piano1933 - 1997

Bob Mintzer
saxophoneb.1953

Michael Brecker
saxophone, tenor1949 - 2007

Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen
bass1946 - 2005

Sam Jones
bass, acoustic1924 - 1981

Tommy Flanagan
piano1930 - 2001
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What is Jazz?
Richard J Salvucci
John Coltrane
bob mintzer
Michael Brecker
Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen
Tommy Flanagan
Camille Bertault
World Saxophone Quartet
Buddy DeFranco
Terry Gibbs
Michel Petrucciani
Scotty Barnhart
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Tete Montoliu
Sam Jones
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