Coltrane Among the Tubas and Tenors
A tuba-led quintet where Coltrane's tenor carves a path through an unusual, sturdy front line.
The Ray Draper Quintet featuring John Coltrane was recorded in 1957, early in Coltrane's sideman years, when he was still working out the voice that would later define him. Here he is a featured presence rather than a leader, and the record is worth hearing for how well his tenor sits against a sound most jazz listeners would not expect: Ray Draper's tuba, placed up front as a melodic instrument rather than a bass anchor.
Draper clearly had ambitions to make the tuba a serious solo voice, and the tuba and tenor pairing is an unusual, mostly successful sound. The ensemble is loose and direct, with Coltrane pushing through the hard-swinging rhythm section of Jimmy "Spanky" DeBrest on bass and Larry Ritchie on drums. Gil Coggins keeps the harmonic floor steady on piano. The music is more about trying something unusual than achieving polish, and that is part of its appeal.
For a listener starting with Coltrane, this is not the place to begin; go to Blue Train (1957) or later Prestige work first. This record is for those already curious about the sidemen years or about Draper himself. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow said Draper's courage in the project deserves respect, and All About Jazz reviewer Douglas Payne called it probably the best thing Draper did on his own, even though he recorded little after 1960.
Who's playing
Jimmy "Spanky" DeBrestdouble bass
Gil Cogginspiano
John Coltranetenor saxophone
Larry Ritchiedrums
Ray Drapertuba
