The first album of the collection I'm going to review is John Coltrane's Crescent (1964). This record is representative of a shift in Coltrane's style from the hard-bop structured sounds of Giant Steps (1959), to the tonal freedom of Impressions (1961), to the emotionally driven musical lyricism of Crescent (1964).

Coltrane illustrates his versatility as a composer, creating vertically expressive pieces while maintaining an ability to musically articulate certain moods in the freedom of lyrical lineage.

His quartet including McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums) navigates flawlessly through 5 tracks, crafting beautifully melodic movements with emotionally charged and expressive improvisation.

Track no. 1 Crescent is exactly that, a crescent of sound that is reached and then closed with an intricate cadenza. The first 3 notes Coltrane plays at the beginning of the second track Wise One, immediately reminded me of things to come, namely Acknowledgement of A Love Supreme (1964), a masterpiece to be released later that year. Other notable tracks include no. 4 Lonnie's Lament, a classic jazz ballad rediscovered by Trane and shaped in a sort of melodic simplistic beauty that really speaks to the listener.

This album is a must have that is not to be loved solely by avid Coltrane fans like myself. The emotion with which the quartet plays and more importantly is able to convey to the listener through Crescent's remarkably expressive and lyrically charged tracks is astounding. This is a must have and is added to the collection with 4 stars. ****