John Coltrane (tenor sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums). From the album Crescent (1964).
Crescent is a studio album recorded with the usual Coltrane’s quartet, who plays the tenor sax. All compositions are by Coltrane and does not play any solo in “Lonnie’s Lament” nor “The Drum Thing”, while in “Lonnie’s Lament” Garrison perform a long solo. “The Drum Thing” is played entirely by Elvin Jones, demonstrating his skill to the drums. Crescent served as a prelude to the masterpiece A Love Supreme. In “Crescent”, Coltrane shows his weakness for swing, and together with "Wise One" are very spiritual themes.
Coltrane begins with a melancholy melody. Jones then introduces a swing rhythm and Coltrane enters with his dissertation: “The months follow one another giving rise to the four seasons. We do not own our own existence. It may rain at any time and the sun rises at dawn on the way to noon. The moon replaces the sun at dusk and everything starts over again. The passage of time is inexorable and nothing will be left of us.” His reflections are deep and unfathomable. Sometimes he seems to reveal himself against reality, like a child who has a tantrum, but ends up accepting it. Tyner comes in with him to give him some comfort and they return to the initial melody.
© Impulse! Records
