“Blue Train” by John Coltrane

"Blue Train" is the title track and opening statement of John Coltrane's 1958 album, a tune he wrote himself that has since become a jazz standard. He leads on tenor saxophone in a six-piece lineup: Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on double bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Alfred Lion produced and Rudy van Gelder did the recording.

The hook is harmonic. Instead of settling on major or minor, the tune leans on an E♭7♯9 chord, which carries the major and the minor third at the same time, so it hangs right on the line between the two moods and refuses to pick a side.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.