John Coltrane - The Believer

1996 reissue

The Believer is a jazz album credited to John Coltrane released in 1964 on Prestige Records. The tracks on The Believer, taken from three different sessions of 1957-58 vintage, show John Coltrane's keen interest in young jazz talent. The title piece was composed by McCoy Tyner, still a teenager at the time and more than two years away from his key role in Coltrane's working quartet. Another high school student, Ray Draper, is featured on two bonus tracks added to the program of the original LP, which find Coltrane forming half of an unusual tuba/tenor sax front line.

"Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" includes one of the earliest recorded solos by Freddie Hubbard, in the first of his studio collaborations with Coltrane. There are other treats, including the always sparkling Red Garland and a composition by the underrated Calvin Massey; but the main event, as always, is Coltrane, who turns in particularly explosive work on the two January 1958 quintet titles that have Donald Byrd on trumpet. The album features Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes, and Arthur Taylor.