John Coltrane Introduction
(Last modified: 5:54 PM, February 28, 1999.)
The intention of this discography was first, personal; simply to have a ready reference handy on my computer of all of the existing recordings, official and unofficial of John Coltrane; and secondly to use the information contained to construct a discography for McCoy Tyner, who has enthralled me with his piano playing since first hearing him.
This Coltrane discography is based initially on that published on the internet by Esa Ontanan, supplemented by data from my own collection of Coltrane recordings, either as, leader or sideman, such as, with Miles Davis. This collection approaches 100 CDs and is growing, especially as, GRP provide the wonderful 20 bit super-mapping reissues, and make some effort to include all extant recordings. Additional information has been taken from David Wild’s paper printed discography, the Spring 1997 edition, and from his growing internet Coltrane discography, at:
I cannot thank him enough for all the willing help, and advice that he has afforded me since beginning this project. Also drawn on was Rick Lopez’s internet discography, at:
http://www.velocity.net/~bb10k/WORKMAN.disc.html
and, of course, the Eric Dolphy internet discography, at:
http://farcry.neurobio.pitt.edu/Discographies/Ericdiscog.HTML
so ably maintained by Alan Saul.
Also used, and where more detailed discographical information on Coltrane can be obtained concerning the numerous issues of Coltrane material up until its publication, is the very remarkable discography by Yasuhiro Fujioka, in association with Lewis Porter and Yoh-ichi Hamada: John Coltrane: A Discography and Musical Biography, published by the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers- The State University of New Jersey, (1995). This was to be updated last year, 1997, and issued on CD-ROM, personal communication from Fujioka, 1997, now postponed, email communication from Lewis Porter in consequence of much of the information being contained in his recent very precise biography of Coltrane, John Coltrane; His Life and Music, The University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1998. I have made full citation where information from any of these discographies has been used here.