John Coltrane's After The Rain

I have immersed myself as of late into the music of guitarist Bill Frisell. His ability to transform timeless standards such as Shenandoah and I Heard It Through The Grapevine into his own unique interpretations is both appealing and quite powerful. At least to these ears. He recently teamed up with drummer, pianist, and composer Jack DeJohnette on the album The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers. I'm still processing the complex beauty of this work, but felt I had to comment on the disc's final song, After The Rain. Previously performed, and made famous, by its composer, John Coltrane, on his Impressions album, I scrolled up to the C's on my artist list and listened, for the hundreth time, to the song. It's beauty is overwhelming. More significantly though, is the purity of the melody in it's interpretation of the piece's title. Listening to it, preferably with headphones, gives the distinct impression of what it sounds like after it rains. That is, sitting on a deck, dock, patio, or in a car at the station, and the rain has stopped and the greens are all shiny with mist, reflecting off of one another. This does "sound" like something and Coltrane, in his great artistry, captured it. The beauty and wonder of a genius and his instrument is his ability to interpret a scenerio as simple as the dew on a leaf through the notes of a song without a single word spoken. I will address Frisell's take on this piece at another time, but I think it vital to experience the original in all its wonder before stepping any further.