Giant Steps (composition)

"Giant Steps"
Composition by John Coltrane
from the album Giant Steps
Released1960 (1960)
RecordedMay 1959
StudioAtlantic Studios, New York[1]
GenreJazz, hard bop
Length4:43
LabelAtlantic
Composer(s)John Coltrane
Producer(s)Nesuhi Ertegün

"Giant Steps" is a jazz composition by American saxophonist John Coltrane.[1] It was first recorded in 1959 and released on the 1960 album Giant Steps.[2] The composition features a cyclic chord pattern that has come to be known as Coltrane changes. The composition has become a jazz standard, covered by many artists.[3][4] Due to its speed and rapid transition through the three keys of B major, G major and E♭ major,[5] Vox described the piece as "the most feared song in jazz" and "one of the most challenging chord progressions to improvise over" in the jazz repertoire.[6]

  1. ^ a b Hentoff, Nat. "Giant Steps Liner Notes". Album Liner Notes. Atlantic Studios. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  2. ^ Whaley, Preston (2004). Blows Like A Horn: Beat Writing, Jazz, Style, And Markets In The Transformation Of U.S. Culture (Online-Ausg. ed.). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. pp. 171-174. ISBN 9780674013117. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Bungey, John (August 4, 2017). "Jazz review: John Coltrane: Giant Steps in Mono". The Times. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  4. ^ Tyle, Chris. "Giant Steps". Jazz Standards. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  5. ^ "How John Coltrane made Giant Steps". Jazzwise. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "The most feared song in jazz, explained". Vox. December 4, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2022.