"Gentle" is a relative term, for while this collection of material is mostly pitched at a slower set of tempos and a more lyrical frame of mind, John Coltrane was no less passionate in a ballad as he was in a roaring frenzy.
Issued on two LPs, The Gentle Side draws nine tracks from the legacy of the classic Coltrane quartet (with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones), adding a pair of tracks each from his collaborations with Duke Ellington and Johnny Hartman.
You can say all you want about how a collection like this disregards the musical flow of the original albums -- which is true -- and still be helplessly caught up in the staggering emotional power of this man's playing.
Even when heard in this context, performances like "After the Rain" and "Welcome" remain breathtaking in their spiritual beauty, and the combination of Coltrane's eloquence and Hartman's warm, masculine baritone can still break your heart with one of their best interpretations of "My One and Only Love." Above all, if you know anyone who has resisted Coltrane because of the fearsome reputation of his more agitated music, lay this LP on them.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soul EyesMal Waldron | John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet | Play | 05:23 | 12 MB | 32 MB |
| 2 | WelcomeJohn Coltrane | John Coltrane | Play | 05:25 | 12 MB | 34 MB |
| 3 | Nancy (With the Laughing Face)James Van Heusen, Phil Silvers | John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet | Play | 03:13 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 4 | My Little Brown BookBilly Strayhorn | John Coltrane, Duke Ellington | Play | 05:18 | 12 MB | 25 MB |
| 5 | Wise OneJohn Coltrane | John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet | Play | 09:06 | 20 MB | 45 MB |
| 6 | Lush LifeBilly Strayhorn | John Coltrane, Johnny Hartman | Play | 05:27 | 12 MB | 27 MB |
| 7 | My One and Only LoveRobert Mellin, Guy Wood | John Coltrane, Johnny Hartman | Play | 04:54 | 11 MB | 25 MB |
| 8 | After the RainJohn Coltrane | John Coltrane | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 19 MB |
| 9 | In a Sentimental MoodDuke Ellington, Manny Kurtz, Irving Mills | John Coltrane, Duke Ellington | Play | 04:15 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 10 | Dear LordJohn Coltrane | John Coltrane | Play | 05:26 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 11 | What's New | John Coltrane Quartet | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 12 | I Want To Talk About You (Live At Birdland, New York/1963) | John Coltrane | Play | 08:17 | 19 MB | 42 MB |
| 13 | Alabama (Album Version) | John Coltrane | Play | 02:27 | 5 MB | 10 MB |
| 67 mins | 154 MB | |||||
| 67 mins | 360 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andy Baltimore | Creative Director |
| 2 | Aaron Bell | Bass |
| 3 | Arron Bell | Bass |
| 4 | Johnny Burke | Composer |
| 5 | Alice Coltrane | Producer |
| 6 | John Coltrane | Composer, Primary Artist, Producer, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor) |
| 7 | John Coltrane Quartet | Primary Artist |
| 8 | Michael Cuscuna | Liner Notes, Producer |
| 9 | Eric Dolphy | Clarinet (Bass) |
| 10 | Joseph Doughney | Post Production |
| 11 | Billy Eckstine | Composer |
| 12 | Duke Ellington | Composer, Guest Artist, Piano, Primary Artist |
| 13 | Jimmy Garrison | Bass |
| 14 | David Gibb | Design |
| 15 | Dave Grusin | Executive Producer |
| 16 | Bob Haggart | Composer |
| 17 | Robert Haggart | Composer |
| 18 | Johnny Hartman | Guest Artist, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 19 | Roy Haynes | Drums |
| 20 | James Van Heusen | Composer |
| 21 | Scott Johnson | Design |
| 22 | Elvin Jones | Drums |
| 23 | Manny Kurtz | Composer |
| 24 | Michael Landy | Post Production |
| 25 | Michelle Lewis | Production Coordination |
| 26 | Sonny Mediana | Design |
| 27 | Robert Mellin | Composer |
| 28 | Ed Michel | Producer |
| 29 | Irving Mills | Composer |
| 30 | Larry Rosen | Executive Producer |
| 31 | Andy Ruggirello | Design |
| 32 | Dan Serrano | Design |
| 33 | Phil Silvers | Composer |
| 34 | Charles Stewart | Photography |
| 35 | Billy Strayhorn | Composer |
| 36 | Bob Thiele | Producer |
| 37 | McCoy Tyner | Piano |
| 38 | Rudy Van Gelder | Engineer |
| 39 | Mal Waldron | Composer |
| 40 | Guy Wood | Composer |
| 41 | Sam Woodward | Drums |
| 42 | Reggie Workman | Bass |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |