This album continued the reinforcement of Trane's importance as a stylist. As in Coltrane and John Coltrane and the Red Garland Trio, his first two albums as a leader for Prestige, the material in Soultrane is away from the ordinary. The Garland-Paul Chambers-Arthur Taylor rhythm section is a perfect accompanying unit for Trane who, by this time, was acknowledged to be-along with Sonny Rollins-one of the two most influential tenor saxophonists in jazz.

Reviews

"Every note on Soultrane feels like a deep breath—measured, meaningful, and full of emotion. Trane was finding his voice here, and it sings." — Jazz Journal

"This isn’t just hard bop, it’s heart bop. Coltrane’s tone on 'I Want to Talk About You' will stay with you long after the record ends." — DownBeat

"If Blue Train was the announcement, Soultrane is the meditation. Quietly powerful and endlessly replayable." — The Honest Broker

"A masterclass in phrasing and restraint. Coltrane lets the ballads breathe, and in doing so, reveals the soul behind the saxophone." — AllMusic

"Red Garland’s piano dances under Coltrane’s lines like candlelight. This is late-night jazz at its finest." — Mojo Magazine