Saxophonist John Coltrane, Randalls Island,
New York City, c. 1958.

Courtesy of Chuck Stewart.

 

“Giant Steps”

John Coltrane Quartet

1959

Like Charlie Parker’s “Ko Ko,” Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” demonstrated a level of harmonic and technical virtuosity that had never been heard in jazz. The speed at which he played these challenging chord changes raised the bar for every horn player to come.