Central Park West (composition)

"Central Park West"
"Central Park West"
Composition by John Coltrane
Genre	jazz, ballad
Composer(s)	John Coltrane

Central Park West is a jazz standard by American saxophonist John Coltrane. It first appeared on his 1964 studio album Coltrane's Sound.^[1]

Background

John Coltrane in 1963

Central Park West was included in Coltrane's Sound, a studio album recorded at Atlantic Studios during the sessions for My Favorite Things. The album was assembled after Coltrane had stopped recording for the label and was under contract to Impulse! Records. Like Prestige and Blue Note Records before them, as Coltrane's fame grew during the 1960s, Atlantic used unissued recordings and released them without either Coltrane's input or approval.

Composition

The song is a 10-bar form in B major that is played like a ballad.

Form of Central Park West^[2]
BΔ7 / E-7 A7	DΔ7 / B♭-7 E♭7
A♭Δ7 / G-7 C7	FΔ7 / C♯-7 F♯7
BΔ7 / E-7 A7	DΔ7 / C♯-7 F♯7
BΔ7	C♯-7/B^{[note 1]}
BΔ7	C♯-7/B / C♯-7 F♯7
The forward slash denotes slash notation.

Central Park West employs Coltrane changes. In the song, Coltrane divides the octave into four, producing an ascending cycle of minor thirds: B – D – F – Ab – B. He slightly alters the cycle’s order, so that it becomes B – D – Ab – F – B, which alternates the modulation between minor thirds and tritones.^[3]

Notable recordings

Pharoah Sanders in "Rejoice (1981)"
Tommy Flanagan and J.R. Monterose in "...And a Little Pleasure (1989)"
Joe Lovano in "From The Soul (1992)"
Jimmy Bruno in "Burnin' (1994)'"
Everette Harp in "First Love (2009)"
Avishai Cohen in "Duende (2013)"
Glenn Zaleski in "Fellowship (2017)"
José James in "The Dreamer (10th Anniversary Edition) (2018)"
Tommy Flanagan in "Giant Steps (2018)"^{[note 2]}
Lakecia Benjamin and Jazzmeia Horn in "Pursuance : The Coltranes (2020)"^{[note 3]}

Notes

^ This is to say the C sharp minor 7 chord is being played over a B on the bass.
^ Not to be confused with John Coltrane's landmark jazz album, Giant Steps, released in 1960.
^ Sic est.

References

^ Jazz, All About (1999-03-01). "John Coltrane: Coltrane's Sound album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
^ Coltrane, John (2013). John Coltrane Favorites Songbook Jazz Play-Along Volume 148. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-1-4803-6891-0. OCLC 1152066745.
^ "Giant Steps, Central Park West, and Modulatory Cycles - John Coltrane's harmonic technique". www.thinkingmusic.ca. Retrieved 2022-08-05.

[3] This is to say the C sharp minor 7 chord is being played over a B on the bass.

[5] Not to be confused with John Coltrane's landmark jazz album, Giant Steps, released in 1960.

[6] Sic est.

[1] Jazz, All About (1999-03-01). "John Coltrane: Coltrane's Sound album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2022-08-05.

[2] Coltrane, John (2013). John Coltrane Favorites Songbook Jazz Play-Along Volume 148. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-1-4803-6891-0. OCLC 1152066745.

[4] "Giant Steps, Central Park West, and Modulatory Cycles - John Coltrane's harmonic technique". www.thinkingmusic.ca. Retrieved 2022-08-05.

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