John Coltrane - Giant Steps (60th Anniversary) [Deluxe Edition]

John Coltrane’s Giant Steps – the influential jazz saxophonist’s first album with Atlantic Records – continues to astound and inspire listeners 60 years after its release. Consistently lauded in music histories, Giant Steps was inducted into the Grammy® Hall of Fame in 2001 and remains one of best selling jazz albums of all time.

Giant Steps was recorded in 1959 at Atlantic Studios in New York City. The album features Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Paul Chambers on double bass, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Art Taylor on drums on all songs except for “Naima,” which features Jimmy Cobb on drums and Wynton Kelly on piano. It’s extraordinary to note that Coltrane began principal recording sessions for Giant Steps less than two weeks after finishing his work with Miles Davis on Kind of Blue, which became the best-selling jazz album in history. 

Considered a landmark in modern jazz improvisation, Giant Steps earned a rare honor in 2004 when the album was selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry. It is well known for Coltrane’s exploration into third-related chord movements, which are now known as ‘Coltrane changes.’ Several compositions on the album have become jazz standards, including the ballad “Naima” (named for his wife) and the title track.  

Heavyweight double vinyl produced by Rhino Records in collaboration with Atlantic Records for the album's 60th Anniversary. It featuring a newly remastered version of the original album plus eight alternate takes on a second record.

The recordings come packaged in a replica of the original sleeve and labels used for the album’s first stereo pressing, and the packages, each with a booklet, include photos, never-before-seen images of Atlantic Records ephemera, original liner notes, and new liner notes written by music historian, Ashley Kahn.